There is great suffering, despair and anxiety amongst many migrants and refugees in Malaysia. Often this is hidden, even though they are a visible part of Malaysian society. Official statistics indicate that there are 2.1 million documented migrant workers in Malaysia. An estimated 1 million more reside with irregular status. In addition, there are over 100,000 asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons from 44 countries who seek refuge from persecution and conflict in Malaysia.

At least one in four workers in Malaysia is a non-citizen. Our economy is foreign labour dependent – in other words, we would not have a functioning economy, much less enjoy sustained economic growth, without their labour. Our economy is dependent on both documented migrants and migrants with irregular status.

Over the past two decades, the government of Malaysia has increased its efforts at reducing the number of migrants with irregular status in the country. Instead of issuing sufficient documents for all migrant workers and introducing laws to recognize refugee status, Malaysia has embarked on intense ‘crackdowns’ to arrest, detain and deport migrants. In 2002, the government changed the Immigration Act to become more restrictive and punitive, introducing whipping for immigration offences. In 2005, it authorized RELA, a volunteer organization, to conduct these operations.

Although we see migrants and refugees on a daily basis – at work in construction sites, restaurants, and in Malaysian homes – they are often strangers to us. Most of us don’t want to get to know them or to build friendships. We have our own problems to solve, our own burdens to carry. We are trained to fear and hate ‘illegals’, so we try to avoid contact. They remain in the background, in the shadows of our lives.

What is the situation of migrants and refugees in Malaysia, and how should we respond as Christians?

God’s Instruction Concerning Foreigners in our Midst

Many key figures in the Bible were migrants, such as Abraham in Canaan (Genesis 17:8), Moses in Midian (Exodus 2:22), and Jacob in Ham (Psalms 105:23). Some were sold into slavery, such as Joseph (Genesis 37:28), taken from their homelands to serve in other countries, such as Daniel (Daniel 1:3), or taken into exile, such as Esther (Esther 2:5-8). The disciples and apostles of the early Church – Peter, Paul, John, and Thomas amongst others – traveled extensively outside of their own birthplaces. Their ability to move, preach and find hospitality in other countries resulted in the swift spread of the gospel.

Key figures in the Bible were also refugees. Moses had to be hidden in a basket and put into a river because Hebrew boys were being systematically murdered (Exodus 1:22-2:3). Joseph and Mary had to escape to Egypt with baby Jesus to avoid being killed by Herod (Matthew 2:13-15). Can you imagine the course of history if they didn’t find safe refuge?

God’s teaching is very clear on how we are to treat ‘aliens’ or ‘foreigners’ who live amongst us. There are two types of instructions – how we should treat them and how we should not treat them.

How should we treat them?

We are to have the same law for them as we have for ourselves (Leviticus 24:22), treat them the way we treat our own people, and love them as we love ourselves (Leviticus 19:34). We are to help them (Leviticus 25:35), give food and clothing out of love for them (Deuteronomy 10:18-19), and be generous to them (Deuteronomy 24:19-22).

When God gave instructions for how land should be divided between the tribes of Israel in Ezekiel 47:21-23, He said:

You are to distribute this land among yourselves according to the tribes of Israel. You are to allot it as an inheritance for yourselves and for the aliens who have settled among you and who have children. You are to consider them as native-born Israelites; along with you they are to be allotted an inheritance among the tribes of Israel. In whatever tribe the alien settles, there you are to give him his inheritance,” declares the Sovereign Lord. (NIV)

This is how we should treat ‘foreign spouses’ in Malaysia!

God also gave clear instructions about how we should not treat foreigners. These instructions were warnings with curses if breaches were made.

We are not to oppress them (Exodus 22:21; Jeremiah 7:6) mistreat them (Leviticus 19-33-34) or deny them justice (Ezekiel 22:29; Deuteronomy 24:17). If we withhold justice from them, we will be cursed (Deuteronomy 27:19). God says in Malachi 3:5 that He watches and judges quickly those who “defraud laborers of their wages, who oppress the widows and the fatherless, and deprive aliens of justice…” (NIV).

A Christ-like Attitude When Working with Migrants and Refugees

In Malaysia, most migrants and refugees, in particular those in an irregular situation, are in a weaker position than Malaysians – they are often poorer and more vulnerable to harassment, bullying and extortion. It is easy to be arrogant, proud and judgmental when interacting with them.

We often hold stereotypes in our minds about who migrants and refugees are and whether or not they should be in Malaysia. We forget our own migrant histories – how our forefathers came, mostly without passports and often with very little money, from what are now India, China, Indonesia, and other parts of the world. Some fled persecution and poverty while others sought better futures and new experiences.

Christ is far stronger and more powerful than us. He is our perfect example of how we should approach those who are weaker and more vulnerable to us.

Christ came to us motivated by love. He teaches us that the two most important commandments are to love the Lord with all our heart, soul, mind and strength, and to love our neighbour as we love ourselves (Matthew 22:37-40; Luke 10:27). Jesus clarified that ‘neighbour’ included those who are not of our same identity through the Parable of the Good Samaritan. Paul tells us that all we do is nothing if not accompanied by love (1 Corinthians 13). Love leads us to serve one another. Galatians 5:13-14 says, “For you, brethren, have been called to liberty; only do not use liberty as an opportunity for the flesh, but through love serve one another. For all the law is fulfilled in one word, even in this: “You shall love your neighbor as yourself.” (NKJV)

Christ is humble, meek and gentle with us. He recognizes our burdens and seeks to give us rest. He says, “Come to Me, all you who labor and are heavy laden, and I will give you rest. Take My yoke upon you and learn from Me, for I am gentle and lowly in heart, and you will find rest for your souls.” (Matthew 11:28-29, NKJV). Gentleness is a fruit of the Holy Spirit (Galatians 5:20). We are to “Bear one another’s burdens, and so fulfill the law of Christ” (Galatians 6:2, NKJV).

Christ is also patient and long-suffering with us. Helping migrants and refugees can be frustrating, especially when we keep facing obstacles. You may feel upset when dealing with hard-hearted employers who refuse to pay their workers money, get tired when visiting migrants and refugees in detention, or wonder how long you have to continue providing financial support to destitute families. It is easy to get emotional and physically drained from helping others because the problems seem never-ending. Galatians 6:9 says, “And let us not grow weary while doing good, for in due season we shall reap if we do not lose heart.” (NKJV)

Christ relied on His Father for strength, wisdom and resources. He trusted His Father. He was careful to do what the Father wanted, rather that doing things His own way (John 10:37). He tells us to do the same (Matthew 12:5; 7:21). In our work with migrants and refugees, we need to trust God to lead us to do the right things, at the right time, in the right ways, and with the right attitudes. In exchange for our burdens and sorrows, He gives us joy and strength (Nehemiah 8:10); He gives us rest and restoration of our souls (Psalm 23). We are not called to save the world – we are called to follow Him.

Christ and Advocacy

God calls us to advocate for others who are weaker than us. We are to: “Defend the poor and fatherless: Do justice to the afflicted and needy. Deliver the poor and needy; free them from the hand of the wicked” (Psalm 82:3-4, NKJV). Proverbs 31:9 says, “Open your mouth, judge righteously, And plead the cause of the poor and needy” (NKJV).

The Oxford English Dictionary defines an ‘advocate’ as “a person who publicly supports or recommends a particular cause or policy” or “a person who pleads a case on someone else’s behalf”. There are many activities that constitute ‘advocacy’, ranging from speaking to your friends and family about something you believe in, writing an article, posting comments on online newspapers, speaking at seminars, or meeting with government officials. Advocacy can be done individually or in groups; it can be done privately or publicly. You may not feel comfortable speaking in public, but you may feel comfortable supporting individuals through a court case, or helping them talk to a doctor or nurse in a health facility. We can do advocacy in a number of ways.

We may feel nervous about advocacy, especially if we have not done it before. God repeatedly told His people – Moses, Joshua, Gideon, Mary and Paul, amongst others – not to be afraid as He led them onto new paths. This is the most frequent command in the Bible! We should not be afraid because God protects us (Psalm 91).

Conclusion

God’s instructions about how we are to treat foreigners are very clear. They stem from His great and gracious love for people of all tribes, nations, and tongues. We have amongst us migrants and refugees with desperate needs. Let us not close our eyes and ears; let us not harden our hearts. Let us obey God, and respond by loving and caring for them generously, by defending those who are weak and needy. This is the fullness of Christ in Malaysian society; this is how we are salt and light.

For the longest time, I have held three truths to be true.

Firstly, there are many around me whose work with migrant and refugees I admire tremendously – they inspire and encourage me. They have taken cases to court for labour disputes, defended refugees for immigration offenses, given of their time and money to help the marginalised, remained steadfast through difficulties, made personal sacrifices, and done their best through challenging circumstances. Most of their work is done without public display; it is done because their hearts are moved by those who suffer. They see needs and they respond. They try their best to overcome their fears; they learn as quickly as they can as they move through uncharted territory. Their work, I believe, triumphs any day over mine.

Secondly, when we see suffering, it is incumbent upon us to do what we can. The truth is that most of us who work with migrants and refugees can walk away at any time, but the migrants and refugees themselves can’t walk away from their own lives. We can put them aside from our minds, create distance, and get back to our own concerns. But if the reasons for their vulnerability do not change; if the underlying causes of their suffering remain unaddressed, then others will go through what they have suffered unnecessarily. We know that we have limited resources, limited knowledge, and limited influence. This is not an excuse; it is a challenge we need to overcome. It will take time, patience, courage, and tenacity. We have two choices – to walk away, or to do whatever we can. We each choose our own way, one step at a time.

Thirdly, for change to happen, all of us need to do an ordinary little bit. The word “hero” is grandiose, and relegates achievements to a ‘chosen’ few with ’special powers’ – Superman, Batman, Wonder Woman, Achilles, Hector, Spiderman. What this world really needs is more ordinary people doing ordinary things, at the right time and with the right heart – saying a word of encouragement, giving a hug, volunteering time and resources, bringing integrity to work, loving friends and family more excellently… these are what makes a real difference. And the true heroes are those who do these consistently, with sacrifice and without recognition.

All of us are heroes; and all of us are surrounded by heroes.

This is the beauty of life, and it is in the ordinary.

Originally published on 22 June, 2009 by Alice Nah. Republished with permission. Alice is a researcher who examines the interconnections between citizenship and migration. She is one of the coordinators of the Migration Working Group, a network of civil society groups and individuals advocating for the protection of the rights of migrants, refugees and stateless persons.

Alice was recently named in the US State Department’s annual Trafficking in Persons Report 2009 as one of the 2009 Trafficking in Persons Report heroes. The report stated that Alice had raised government and public awareness through online articles describing the plight of trafficking victims, refugees, and migrant workers.

Malaysians — across ethnic groups, class divisions, religious affiliations and age differences — are becoming more engaged in social and political developments, more interested in reading the news, keener to follow events in society.

Slowly, but surely, we are finding our “voice”. We are learning ways of expressing ourselves peacefully, seeing that we can put aside old fears. We are exploring the strength in our hands, discovering that our opinions, no matter how small or tentative, count too.

Engagement — individually and collectively — is at the crux of a functioning democracy. Engagement begins with awareness and interest, blossoms through conversation and action, and matures with wisdom, understanding, and compassion for others. It can be a powerful force for positive change. It can also be destructive, if we are not careful.

We need maturity in the way we engage.

We need to create spaces of dialogue and debate where we can share information and listen to opposing views, without deepening enmity. This can only be achieved when we are genuinely interested in what others have to say, no matter how strange their point of view. Productive debate is not possible when we disrespect others or dismiss their ideas without listening to them. This happens too often. We may not agree, and despite genuine attempts, even find no point of commonality, but we need to respect the right of others to their own opinions. We need to find ways of living together peacefully in diversity.

We need to engage on behalf of others, not just ourselves. We need to act for others when they can’t move; speak for them when they are forced into silence. We need to value their lives; protect their fundamental freedoms; care for them and their children. Society will always be fragmented if we look only to our own concerns. Our vision of our roles and responsibilities as citizens must grow. We must develop a sense of civic duty that goes beyond political affiliations and struggles for power.

We need to rise above apathy, disappointment and hopelessness. Change in society is not achieved overnight, although there may be moments of exciting upheaval (such as the March elections!). We need perseverance and patience over a long period of time. Most of the time, our actions — the signing of petitions, attendance at candlelight vigils, writing of comments on blogs — do not have immediate, tangible effect. We may get disappointed, wondering if it is worth doing anything at all. We need to see these actions with faith — as water that can swell into a wave. One day, we hope, these waves will hit home with might. In the meantime, we must continue to lay solid foundations for change.

The hope for a just society in Malaysia lies neither in Pakatan Rakyat nor in Barisan Nasional alone; it lies with the citizens of Malaysia. Shifts in political power have created unprecedented spaces for engagement and action. It would be a tragedy for us to revert back to the apathy and powerlessness of the past.

However, we must not place all our hopes in political parties, assuming that regime change will automatically bring about the society that we want. We must grasp, with vigour, our roles and responsibilities as citizens. It is hard work, and we will constantly step into unfamiliar territory as we explore the contours of democracy, but the lives of others — the poor, the marginalised and the weak; the violated, oppressed, and suppressed; the foreigners who are vulnerable in our midst — depend on us.

We are the people.

Originally published in The Malaysian Insider. Republished with permission from the author.

How do we overcome loneliness? How do we find meaningful companionship? It begins with a deep revelation of God’s love. Paul prayed that we “may be able to comprehend with all the saints what is the width and length and depth and height – to know the love of Christ which passes knowledge; that [we] may be filled with all the fullness of God (Ephesians 3:18-19).

Experiencing the sacrificial love of Jesus heals us. It shows us how precious we are, how He knows us intimately (Psalm 139). God tells us repeatedly that He will never leave us or forsake us because of His faithfulness and mercy (Deu 31:6.8; Joshua 1:5; Hebrews 13:5). He is always with us.

How do we respond? The answer is in Jesus’ teaching of the two greatest commandments: to “…love the LORD your God with all your heart, with all your soul, with all your mind, and with all your strength”, and to “love your neighbor as yourself” (Mark 12:29-31). Jesus challenges us further – to love others as He loves us (John 13:34).

To love is to reach out to others, to include them in our lives, to extend beyond thinking of ourselves. It means loving our families, for that is where God set us (Psalm 68:6). It means we stop wearing masks, stop pretending to be perfect. God shows us how to love others – not selfishly, but sacrificially, not because people ‘deserve’ it but because they are precious to God. As we bathe in God’s love, and humbly demonstrate His mercy to others, we find true companionship.

In Malaysia, they live in uncertainty, afraid of arrest, imprisonment, whipping and deportation, as refugee status is not officially recognized here. Pregnant women, the sick, children and babies are also arrested during Immigration raids and brought into detention. Adults who are able to obtain work are sometimes not paid their wages.

When raids occur, families are left destitute when the main income earner is arrested. Some stay in jungle sites in order to avoid arrest and to get jobs in nearby construction sites. Children do not have access to education. They live precarious lives, suffering from anxiety and fear.

When I share about refugees to Malaysian Christians, I am always heartened when they respond with compassion. Most are willing to help – to share their time and resources. Some give sacrificially, for little public recognition. I know that God is happy with us when we respond like this. By caring for others, we fulfill Jesus’ command for us to “love each other as I have loved you” (John 15:12).

Jesus Himself was a refugee – forced to flee to Egypt as a child (Matt 2:13-14). Can you imagine how He would have been treated here? Lets care for the refugees, as we would have cared for Him (Matt 25:35-45). Let us pray that the authorities in government enact laws to protect and assist them.

Let us keep the refugees in our prayers so that in the midst of their struggles, they see the face of God.

Today is World Aids Day.

World Vision Malaysia has been consistently helping people to be aware of the plight of those affected, especially children through the One Life Revolution.

When I watched and listened to the video above, I couldn’t hold back the tears. Memories of the stories my African friends told me years ago suddenly crashed into me once again. How does one grasp the experience of weekly funerals? How can we even understand what all this means for the children who have lost their parents?

I confess, perhaps because of distance geographically and personal contact with those affected, I haven’t thought about HIV-AIDS related concerns for quite a while (apart from more detached issues based conversations sporadically).

I would also like to confess, that it’s moments like this where something moves in the priorities of my heart. I feel less interested in some of the debates or conflicts we are prone to enter into either consciously or unconsciously. I am no saint and it’s not about being heroic or worse messianic . . . but one cannot help but pause and review what is important, what is urgent, what is needed and where we want to invest our energies in.

Today. This week. The words from this song “Orphans of God” will be the sound track in the background, as I carve space apart from the 101 things I’m doing to do what is needed to discern what I want to concentrate on in days to come.

Orphans of God

Who here among us has not been broken
Who here among us is without guilt or pain
So oft’ abandoned by our transgressions
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

There are no strangers
There are no outcasts
There are no orphans of God
So many fallen, but hallelujah
There are no orphans of God

Come ye unwanted and find affection
Come all ye weary, come and lay down your head
Come ye unworthy, you are my brother
If such a thing as grace exists
Then grace was made for lives like this

O blessed Father, look down upon us
We are Your children, we need Your love

We run before Your throne of mercy
And seek Your face to rise above

I only have one life, it’s fragile. I am one person, finite and limited. I do believe God has called each of us to play our part in his kingdom vision for the world, as we have entered the season of Advent, this is a good time to prepare for Christmas by reviewing our lives and realigning to what’s most meaningful and most eternal!

The hardest time of waiting is when you feel desperate – when the answer you need feels like your lifeline. I felt that way when I was unemployed, after coming back from Namibia. I had enrolled in a Masters course in Singapore, and didn’t have any income. I applied for various jobs as a psychologist, and somehow, all the opportunities just slipped through my fingers. Worry consumed my life; I felt utter despair.

When I prayed about it, I felt God told me: ‘be at peace, you will be fine’. I felt slight calm in my heart. But very quickly, I clung on to anxiety again. It was more active; I felt in greater control. It was logical and based on facts. Being at ease was unsupported by what I could see with my own eyes. After a while, however, the anxiety ran so deep that all I wanted was relief – something to numb the pain, something to bring it to an end.

Things did work out fine, of course, although I could not see it at that time. My parents gave me a loan, which I later paid back. I didn’t want to ask them for money; it seemed to signal my failure as an adult. I had already worked, for goodness sake. I felt guilty that I had left a good job to traipse around Sub Saharan Africa with a missionary organization. Did I really need to do that to get direction in life? I felt irresponsible and audacious, coming back jobless, asking my parents for more money. It was a humbling experience. As a result though, I learnt several key lessons in life.

I learnt that we need people. There are times when we will not have all the resources we need to ‘make it’ on our own the way we want to. Relying on people is actually fine; it is okay to ask for help. I grew up being instilled with idea that I have to make it on my own, that I should not be a burden, that I must do everything myself. However, I realize that this independence results in isolation, private suffering, and limits the choices we make in life. It is also unrealistic. We may not be aware of it or like it, but we need other people, as they need us.

I have also learnt to be generous when I see others in need. I know what it feels like to be so desperate that you have to ask money from others. It is humbling. I also know that my friends who ask me for a loan would only do so because they trust me. They know I will not hold them in psychological debt, or use the power difference it creates in a manipulative way.

Since then, I have had many occasions to wait – I have waited in small and large measures, with short and long timeframes, with both clarity and ambiguity of how and when a matter will be resolved. Waiting seems to mark the days and seasons of my life. It still does not come easily. I have to take deep breaths, come back to God repeatedly, and exercise surrender.

I have learnt, however, that depth and richness enters your life through the discipline of waiting. It is through waiting that you develop deep appreciation for what you eventually receive. You do not take it for granted. You taste fullness when you drink of it; you see all the little ways in which it meets your desires.

It is also through waiting that you develop inner peace and trust in God. This is the only way you can ‘survive the ride’ without being consumed by anxiety, uncertainty and fear. Trusting God is an exercise of faith. It may not come easily at first, and doubt may unsettle you. However, it is a choice, an act of will. We have many examples in the Bible to encourage us – people who put their trust in God and saw the impossible happen. Daniel in the lion’s den, was saved precisely because he trusted in God.

God is kind – He rewards those who wait upon Him. He shows us that He is faithful and worthy of trust. The cyclical experience of waiting and reward, waiting and reward, deepens our relationship with Him. It shows us His grace and mercy, His steadiness in the midst of storms. He demonstrates how He always fulfills the promises He makes, even if they take what seem to be an interminably long time.

God will bring to pass what He promises. In the meantime, He waits with us, alongside us – ever faithful and pouring out His love upon us – until the time is right.

“longing fulfilled is sweet to the soul”
Proverbs 13:19

There is an air of muted excitement amongst Malaysians… a quickening in our hearts mixed with trepidation. Adrenalin flows through our veins as walk around with composed faces; there is a slight flush on our cheeks. We feel we are on the brink of something about to happen. It is the feeling we have when we are waiting for a new date – our eagerness is mixed with anxiety; we are slightly afraid that he/she will not show up, and hope that we will not be disappointed by what we see. We know we want change, but we are not sure if this particular change is the one we want.

The recent arrests of our Member of Parliament Teresa Kok, the influential blogger Raja Petra, and the journalist Tan Hoon Cheng under the Internal Security Act have shocked Malaysians. Even those who favoured the existence of the ISA as a tool against potential terrorists were dismayed at its use for such flimsy reasons. The poor justification by Home Affairs Minister Syed Hamid Albar for Tan Hoon Cheng’s detention – purportedly for ‘her protection’ – is a slap to our faces. Does Barisan Nasional think the Malaysian people are stupid?

It is yet another gross miscalculation on part of the BN government – on top of the mismanagement of the Ahmad Ismail affair, the poor handling of the Permatang Pauh elections, the ludicrous charges of sodomy against Anwar Ibrahim and the embarrassing spectacle surrounding the DNA Bill. BN’s tactics over the past 6½ months have been thinly veiled, shameless, and uncreative. They have not understood what is evident to all – that Malaysians will not be content with the same old racist politics, corruption, abuses of power, impunity and mismanagement of state resources. What irks Malaysians most is that BN politicians treat us like we are dumb, immature and easily frightened.

There is an air of anticipation about the change of government promised by Pakatan Rakyat tomorrow. For a while, I was undecided if this is the best course of action for the people of Malaysia. I still believe that people voted for MPs on the basis of parties and not individuals in the March 2008 elections. Granted, the elections were neither fully free nor fully fair, and gerrymandering meant that each vote was given unequal weight. Nevertheless, most people decided to vote either for BN or the Opposition. Therefore, despite my private belief that a PR-led government is far more likely to bring needed reform than an ossifying BN-led one, I have been sitting on the fence with regard to a possible September 16th take-over. Is a walkover by MPs the best way of achieving this much needed regime change?

The use of the ISA in this manner, however, is a deathblow to the legitimacy of the BN government. It is the final straw in a series of poorly conceived political moves, a desperate gesture made by those who, anticipating failure, act as if they have nothing to lose. This wretched act, along with Pakatan’s assurances of the success of a walkover on September 16, leave many breathless… waiting and hoping for positive change. I am convinced that this will happen. If BN politicians are gracious (and wise) they will know that it is time to back off, regroup and change their tactics – to remake themselves into the leaders that the Malaysian people want. However, their actions in the past six months suggest that they will not. Our fears lie not in what Malaysia will become with Anwar Ibrahim as Prime Minister, for we have become accustomed to this possibility, but in what nasty reprisals UMNO and its Youth Wing may concoct in order to disturb the peace and justify the call for a state of emergency. Will the Mat Rempits be encouraged to rear their bikes, gesture rudely, and start riots?

If Pakatan is successful, we must remember that having them in power will not, in itself, give Malaysians the society that we want. Neither will it guarantee that we have the leadership that we need. There is a danger that PR politicians will fall into the same old traps that BN politicians have been lured into. If so, we will remain in the same mess in which we find ourselves today.

What we really need is commitment to what is right and just, not a call to action because it is politically expedient. We need commitment to the reform of the judiciary and the upholding of the rule of law. We need to clean up our government – to redesign processes and policies so that they are egalitarian and transparent. We need members of Parliament to speak boldly with our voice (not theirs) and we need unfettered space for civil society.

Malaysians are looking for new leadership. We don’t need politicians who lie to us and prey on our fears; we need leaders who demonstrate political and social maturity – who bring people together, respond to our needs, and call out the best in us. We need leaders who calm our anxieties and allay our worries – not by taking sides or by playing one group against another through fragmented discourses. We need leaders who value all of us as equal citizens of Malaysia.

We need a radical commitment to the formation of a transparent, accountable, democratic and just government. We need leaders who will revisit all the laws and policies that cripple citizens – that inhibit our freedoms – so that we cannot challenge those in power. We need leaders who will do what is right, not what is convenient.

For this, we Malaysians are breathless. We are sick of rhetoric, of fear mongering, of hypocrisy. We are tired of lies and cheap excuses. We want genuine change.

Tomorrow may bring this needed change. We may witness the making of history. If it happens, then my hope is that PR will not get too heady with success and that BN will not burn down what is left of Malaysia through inciting riots and declaring a state of emergency. What Malaysians need is for both PR and BN to remember that we exist not because of them, or for them. We need them to remember that we entrust our futures and our lives to them. We give them power, but they remain accountable to us. Only then will they be the leaders we have been waiting for.

Father, hear our prayers and calm our fears. Let Your will be done in the nation of Malaysia; may Your plans be brought to life. May the winds of change help us to form a fair and just society. Help us to reset the structures of power so that we can uphold what is true and right while extending mercy to those who are helpless. Hear our prayers, oh God, and hold us in the palm of Your hand. We trust in Your mercy and grace.

We cannot help but have an impact on the lives of others. Similarly, we cannot help but feel the influence of others upon our lives. These can be positive encounters, that add something good immediately, or negative, that take something away which we need to redeem. What we do, what we think, and how we respond to people and circumstances shape the impact we make. These often occur not through magnificent or remarkable acts, but through simple words and ordinary actions.

In the past few weeks, in my travels in Europe, there are three instances that stand out in my mind about how ordinary actions matter. They are ‘ordinary’ in the sense that they are commonplace – not particularly exceptional to the people who do them. They occur often unnoticed. But when these small acts multiply, they create ripples of solidarity and trust building that help to create a more humane and caring society.

The first was at the Kings Cross St. Pancras underground station in London. I had just come from a long ride from Brussels, and struggled to manage my bulky luggage while waiting to top up my oyster card. As I stood in line, I saw a tall woman pushing her baby in a large pram. She came to a set of steps, and gingerly lowered it. It took some time and it wasn’t easy. Strangers walked past. One, however, stopped briefly. After making quick eye contact with her, he lifted the opposite end of the pram. They carried it down quickly, each holding one side. She expressed her thanks, and, just as smoothly as they met they walked away, continuing in opposite directions on their journey.

This event, which happened in two to three seconds, was exceptional to me because it seemed that the perfect stranger who lent a helping hand did not expect anything in return. He looked happy as he walked away. I wondered if he had a wife or partner with a child of the same age, and therefore understood how much of a struggle traveling through the Underground could be. Nothing was exchanged beyond this brief act of kindness. It came, it happened, it went almost unnoticed.

The second is really about an exceptional person, a friend from childhood, Karen. She is married with a child, and works in London as a foster mother for children needing care. In the past few years, she has looked after children whose families are strained – from financial difficulties, health problems, abuse and violence, and the myriad of challenges that place homes under stress. When I met her in London, she was looking after M, a cute and interactive baby boy.

The accountabilities of a foster mother are great. She is responsible for the physical and emotional well-being of the children she looks after. She has to phone in and report any scratch on their body. She meets with the biological parents of the children regularly, working with them so that they are better able to manage their homes in the future.

What is remarkable about Karen, is that she invests her life in the lives of others, one hour at a time. It is such a responsibility to care for a child, and she does it with such dedication, love and care. It isn’t easy. It gets frustrating. It is physical and emotional investment. And she knows that the children do not belong to her.

But what a difference she makes, one child at a time. These babies know her touch, trust her smile, feel comfort in her arms. She joins her life to theirs, knowing that their encounter is intense, but in the scheme of things, is brief. Yet she still holds on to them, caring for them, knowing that she will have to open her arms to relinquish them at the proper time. What an amazing woman.

The third encounter, in the travels of my past month, occurred on road from Jurmala, Latvia (yes, indeed I made it, and have many more stories to tell). Chian (my fellow Malaysian traveler) and I were on a private tour of Jurmala in a van, going to see bog lakes. Our driver, Pierre, who works for Riga Out There, was driving, and as we tried to turn on a dirt road, our van got stuck in a hole. We tried to get out of it, but the more we stepped on the accelerator, the deeper the hole got. We were literally digging ourselves deeper.

It was obvious that we were in trouble. What amazed me was that several cars slowed down to see if they could help us. One stopped. Two young men came out, and immediately began to pitch in. One of them was particularly enterprising. He got out a rope, and tied it to the back of our van. His car was older and much smaller than ours. He tried to drag us out, but after trying (placing his engine under strain), the rope broke. He tried again, retying the rope. Same result. He took out a jack and painstakingly lifted the car, scooping more dirt to plug in the hole. I thought – I have to recruit this guy for Médecins Sans Frontières, he would be an excellent logistician!

Another couple came along. They were walking along the road, and also stopped by. We all tried to push the van, six of us, as the young man continue to try to drag the van out of the hole. We heaved, and huffed and puffed. We tried several times. We thought of alternatives. (Actually, I thought of calling the tow truck, but apparently that’s not how they do thing in Latvia). Finally, on the upteenth try, by climbing into the van and putting it into reverse, the young man managed to pull it out of the hole. Success!

I was really touched by the efforts of this young Latvian man, whose name I do not know. He stopped, giving of his time and energy to help a group of strangers. When Pierre offered him some money as a gesture of appreciation, he refused. He has nothing to gain from us; he does not know who we are, and that did not matter to him. The gesture of assistance was complete in itself.

These three encounters stick in my mind because they are examples of strangers helping strangers in everyday acts of kindness that can go almost unnoticed. They are daily courtesies, little gestures that give me hope. If all of us can live our lives in this way, grasping opportunities to help others who are in need, what a difference we can make in society.

The truth of the matter is that we are creating society as we go along. We are all actors, with roles to play. We cannot escape from this fact – the fact of our relevance. Both our our action and inaction shape the social world around us. If we can reach within us, and give just a little of ourselves to others, we will be amazed at how we, in return, are blessed beyond our imagination.

Thank you, young man in Latvia, whose name I do not know. May you be blessed for your assistance to us, many more times than what you gave us that sunny summer day, on a road from Jurmala.

Kyaw was arrested in 2007. He was kept in different detention centers for two months, and then brought to court. There was no interpreter. He was sentenced to 5 months imprisonment and 2 strokes of the cane. He was extremely afraid of the whipping. He was stretched out on a rack with his buttocks exposed. The pain from the first stroke was so intense that he blacked out. He stayed in jail for another 2 months, and then got deported. He too, had to pay traffickers to come back to Malaysia. He couldn’t go back to Burma, where he is afraid of the junta military. He will carry these scars on his buttocks for the rest of his life – Malaysia has branded him for his time here.

The RELA raids happen all the time; as I write this, a raid is going on in Ampang Lembah Jaya, with refugees trapped in their homes, afraid that RELA personnel patrolling outside will bang on their doors. They sms their fear. In 2007, the (previous) Home Affairs Minister said that RELA conducted between 30 to 40 raids a night. Detention centers have become overcrowded, packed beyond what their facilities are able to provide. Women, children, and babies, are detained as well. Ex-detainees say that the food is meager; that they get sick often. There are no special provisions for babies and children. The say it is unbearably hot, that it is dirty, and the toilets stink. They sometimes don’t have place to lie down at night, because of the overcrowding. Tensions are high; they are desperate, not knowing how long they will be forced to stay. They fight lice and mosquitoes. I have seen fungus growing on the skin of ex-detainees. They are sometimes beaten badly.

What is the point of arresting refugees and stateless persons? They can’t go back to their homelands, even though most of them desperately want to. Malaysia is obligated under international customary law not to deport them to Burma – doing so would be an act of refoulement, returning them to where their life and/or liberty are threatened. Instead, we keep them in our detention centres and prisons (which are already hopelessly overcrowded) and then deport them to the Thai border, where they are handed over to traffickers.

This is futile exercise of power, a waste of taxpayers’ resources. Migrant Care, an Indonesian NGO states that each RELA raid costs us about RM25,000. Add to that the costs of maintaining prisons and detention centers for people who do not belong there, as well as the time and resources of the Police and Immigration, which are better spent catching real criminals rather than vulnerable people fleeing persecution.

What is the point of arresting refugees and stateless persons, deporting them, and feeding the trafficking industry?

Malaysia, like other civilized countries, need to play our part in ensuring that vulnerable populations are protected rather than further traumatized and harassed. We have obligations to protect under the Convention on the Rights of the Child, and under the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination against Women, to which we are signatories. Both the Committees – who oversee the implementation of these conventions in all member countries – have strongly urged Malaysia to put into place refugee status determination procedures so that refugees are legally recognized and given protection. However, Malaysia has not been responding to these calls by the international community.

Granted, enacting domestic laws takes time. However, there are immediate actions that can be done to protect refugees and to stop the waste of government expenditure. Firstly, RELA and Immigration officials can recognize identity documents produced by the United Nations High Commissioner for Refugees (UNHCR) which identify which individuals are asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons. The Police recognize these documents, but RELA and Immigration don’t. Secondly, they can give the UNHCR access to all asylum seekers, refugees and stateless persons in detention centers and prisons, so that they can verify if their claims for asylum and protection are genuine. Thirdly, the Malaysian Government can formally exempt asylum seekers, refugees, and stateless persons under Section 55 of the Immigration Act, which has been recommended by the Committee on the Rights of the Child. These are simple steps, in line with international obligations, that have tremendous power to reduce suffering amongst the persecuted.

In a raid on Wednesday in Klang, two days ago, we hear that fifteen children were arrested. They are from the Rohingya community, ethnic minorities from Burma, who are stateless. By accident of birth, and by acts of political power outside their control, they are ‘illegal’ everywhere they go. What will happen to these children? Will they too, stay detained in detention centers for months, and then get deported to the Thai border? Who will pay traffickers for their release? Will they be sold to brothels or to individuals who will keep them, use them – for sex or as forced laborers – and re-sell them to other ‘private owners’, as has happened to others in the past?

It is within our power to help these populations in distress. We are able to, we are obligated to, and we should.