For context of our foreign migrant mess, let this discomfiting reality sink in: of all the Southeast Asian countries that migrants of all stripes covet entry by any means necessary, it must be Malaysia.
Unless proven otherwise, Malaysia has been the perfect gateway for a migrant/refugee mass transit to stay fleetingly or permanently. Migrants yearn for Malaysia because of its strategic geo-location, far too easy access, "virtual" asylums, industry clamour for cheap menial labour and economic breaks locals shun, as well as illicit trading peripheries — a veritable home away from home.
Astonishingly, entrepreneurial migrants have converted hotspots — wet markets, hawker spots and jungle edges — into slummy havens that evolved into exclusive economic pivots, "little cities" and village enclaves.
Short of a signboard that states "Selamat Datang, Pendatang Haram", access is paired with unsecured landing points in littoral states, liberally porous northern border or simply flying in and then overstay. At the risk of the occasional detection and deportation, these migrants thrived, that by itself a lesson — an instruction manual even — in the art of survival in hostile territory.
The prerequisite to staying power is timelessly corruptible: forged or black market identity documents, paid in cut-throat "processing fees"— RM5,000 to RM15,000 or more, depending on paperwork "authenticity". After that, a cat-and-mouse game with the authorities.
To be sure, Malaysia is not anti-migrant, the flourishing of direct descendants, cooked in a centennial melting pot and stewed in a grand feast of celebrated pluralism and multiculturalism being evidence.
However, the sovereign rule of law remains sacrosanct: illegal migration deterrence and enforcement remain relentless. Nevertheless, the migrants' exodus of fleeing killings, violence, persecution and poverty, is indomitably enduring.
In recent years, the Rohingya accentuated public resentment by poking altercations with established market traders and the law. Have the Rohingya overstayed their welcome? Not just yet, but only if the authorities get a grip on the problem. Asean, especially Malaysia, is actively engaged in pragmatic diplomacy, least of all imploring the Myanmar junta to mollify the "ethnic cleansing" of the Rohingya and recognise them as citizens with basic rights. In the meantime, what are we to do? The current containment looks ineffectual but here is a practical option to quell further kerfuffle — reactivate Pulau Bidong as a provisional sanctuary, with major United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) and international funding, and logistical backing.
Last August, UNHCR registered 185,920 refugees and asylum-seekers in Malaysia: 159,190 from Myanmar comprising Rohingya (105,710), Chins (23,430) and other ethnic groups (30,000). Just too many humans dodging hell on Earth. It may be politically incorrect to some, but encamping the Rohingya on the island, or any Bidong-like facility, is feasible, quick and functional to thwart escalation of domestic conflict.
The statistics speak for themselves. Despite early hiccups and pushbacks, Pulau Bidong (1978–2005) successfully hosted 250,000 Viet refugees, peaking at 40,000. Refugees dwelled for a few months or longer, but they eventually resettled in third countries. This accomplishment can be reprised.
Like the Vietnamese, the Rohingya should be treated humanely, abetted by strong humanitarian relief, to counterbalance domestic antipathy and, beyond that, given shelter and comfort as the wretch of humanity tormented by unquenchable genocide.