Refugees crisis in host country: Who to be blame?

Assalamualaikum!

I've been busy, busy, busy with many, many, many things. That's explained why I seldom blogging lately. Actually there are many things in my mind that I love to pour out here, but time envy me. I have very little time to spend on jotting down my thoughts and opinions.

Well, yesterday, my husband told me that his colleague is the son to one Malaysian activist. When I found out who is his mother, it flashed automatically on her report about refugees in Malaysia and on how they been treated by local authorities. 

I believe everybody has soft spot for refugees. They have to leave their country, without their belongings, walk for thousands miles into other's country, hoping people to accept them. Many countries in the world open their border for refugees, e.g Egypt, Jordan, Lebanon, France, Malaysia, Indonesia and many others. Many countries open opportunity for resettlement program like the USA, Australia, New Zealand and Norway. 

Many stories reported that host countries ill treated those refugees. I take Malaysia, my country, for example. Reports by activists that Malaysians and the local authorities give poor treatment to the refugees been spread throughout the world. Malaysia, a country that is full of immigrants from many countries, like China, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Nepal, Indonesia, Philippines; just naming a few. And yet Malaysia plays a role as host countries to asylum seekers from Iran, Iraq, Myanmar, Pakistan, India; to name a few. 

Being a host country is not easy as it sounds like. It is noble, but not easy. Take example that people come and stay at your house. You have your own rules and not people have their own way that sometimes isn't tally with your way. The refugees that come to other countries, bring along their way of lifestyle, which most of the time doesn't fit in the local society. For example, it is normal for some refugees parents to let their kids play freely at outside. But to the host country, it is a dangerous move to let the kids play alone as the kidnap, rape and murder cases are uprising. With that, it adds the problem to the host country to curb the cross culture issue. 

The refugees as well, that illegally enter the host country, will quietly try to blend with local community. With this, it meant that they will be a part of the host country's economy growth by taking up job. This will increase the competition with the local workers. This also will bring unhealthy competition as most of the refugees are unskilled workers but they are the chosen ones because the labor cost is cheaper than the local who are semi-skilled worker. This issue will create another problem; low quality end result. 

Refugees normally come from poor or undeveloped countries. They are also been neglected by their ruled government. Mostly they are not vaccinated and largely they enter the host country with diseases. This will increase the host country's medical expenditure. The refugees who need medical assistance should be treated because if fail it will spread to local citizens. The refugees in Malaysia also practice poor hygiene and have not much knowledge hygiene and diseases. I experienced a family who came for interview for resettlement program where two of the family members were having chicken pox. They were happy sipping soda drinks outside of my room and acted as if nothing unusual happened. When I questioned the head of the family member, he didn't know what happen to his daughters and I had to become the doctor, explaining about chicken pox to the family, and that the daughters shouldn't go out publicly as they might spread the disease to others. 

No country loves to have prison. Common sense tells us that having prison and detention center bring nothing but a burden to the country. We will be wasting tax payers money by supporting the inmates expenses on food and lodging, the maintenance of the facilities and human resource mobilization. However, in my home country, Malaysia, we have several immigrant detention center. Who is in there? Some of them are refugees. But why are they there? Because they offend the host country's home rules. It is an ideal situation if the refugees stay rationally in the host country. However, we can't deny that they are human like us, too. And they have the ability to make mistake like local citizens that validate them to be place in local detention center or prison. But what made them stay in the detention center longer than they should be? Many factors lead to this; for example, the language barrier. I used to work with translator when I interviewed the refugees. I have no idea why don't they try to learn to speak in local language or at least English. Perhaps because they live among their community in host country. The refugees also always tend to be detained longer than they should because of their capability in committing crime. The refugees mostly come from torn country where crime and violence are common scene in their daily life. So, when they come to their host country, they tend to bring in their previous lifestyle. And the locals take advantage by hiring them to commit crime and it traps the refugees. Who to be blame? the refugees who commit crime or locals who take advantage on them? But most of activist will blame the local authorities for detaining them. 

I read an article written by local activist on the detention camp in Malaysia; on how the authorities treat the refugees and the condition of the detention camp. I believe the above explained the situation and we should stop blaming one or another, but we should work together to make our country a better place to live. 

1. I believe most local authorities will put their integrity at the highest place when they carry out their duty. 

2. I believe the host country citizens have sympathy on the refugees. Not many, but some enjoy taking advantage on other's weaknesses and this is what happening to the refugees.

3. Although it is an unfortunate event to what happen to the refugees, but they have full responsible towards themselves. To are many organisations and agencies that protect them and guide them to blend with local. The refugees are urge to drop the 'old' lifestyle and adopt a new way according to the host country culture, to make your transition easier. 

4. To the activists, stop pointing fingers to your local authorities or local people, but work more on how to help the refugees to blend in our society. 

5. I believe everybody welcome guests with open hand, as long as the guests wouldn't bite their host's hand.

Offer Letter!

Hi all,

I think it is not too late for me to share my happiness. I got the job with IRC!!! Yay!

It had been awhile after the last interview in IRC office. I waited for quite sometimes before Raya celebration, but I told myself that office might be close due to the festive days (although the office is in Bangkok). Though I was busy celebrating Eid ul Fitr in my hometown, I can’t keep on thinking about the interview and the job. I never stopped praying and du’a for Allah to grant my wish.

On 24^th of August, while we were on the road on the way to my cousin’s wedding in Kuala Kangsar, I received a phone call from Bangkok office, delivering the good news. But the catch is that they were in the process of contacting my reference. Again, I prayed hard for this stage to go smoothly. Unfortunately, Allah gave me a slight test when my references were not replying the email. I tried to contact Gregg, but he didn’t reply my email. It is kind of odd as he always quick in responding to emails. Then, I discovered that he was on vacation and the internet access was slow and limited.

On Malaysia Independence Day, I received the most awaited email; the OFFER LETTER. I was happy. Happy. I just don’t know how to describe my feeling on that day. Content. Totally content.  In the email clearly stated that I need to join IRC by 17^th of September 2012.

But the drama isn’t finish yet. The next few days, I received another call from Bangkok office, saying that they can’t have me until 1^st of October 2012, as my future manager is travelling in the meantime. However, I’m looking forward to move on from here. I just want to close this book as soon as possible an deager t start a new one. Insya Allah!

MM and Somalia

Selamat Hari Raya to all! How was your raya? To those who don’t celebrate it, how was your holiday? Hopefully it was fabulous as you wish. Well, I’ll update on my raya celebration on next post as now I want to share something I’ve learned today.

I dragged myself from my bed to shower and prepare to work as today is the first working day after a long break. But it is kind of fruitful to me. It hasn’t end yet, but a lot of things happened. I went through a proposal and made my comments on it. And I attended a sharing session with Mercy Malaysia humanitarian worker from Somalia. He just drops by in between his mission to share with us on his work in Somalia.

First of all, I would like to clarify that this post is not about slamming anybody or any organizations. This post also doesn’t mean to hurt anybody’s feeling. If my ‘facts’ are incorrect, please let me know. I love to know more. My understanding is from secondary data and information.

Yasir, a Somalian, a fresh graduate handsome guy who has no experience in humanitarian work, is in my office to share his experience. He presented nice slides on MM work in Somalia. I learned that MM involves a lot with health cluster. To me it is good. Reason being, MM as a small INGO is mingling with other INGO; networking I meant!

He explained on MM work and MM involvement with heath cluster. From the explanation, I understood that though WHO is the cluster leader, their involvement is not as large as the name. The involvement is not as large the capacity. Is not as large the needs. That is sad. So sad.

I conclude that WHO is taking the advantage of the weak Somali government. WHO takes the advantage the media. They know how to get the limelight. They shine at the right time. We are talking about people who are malnourish, who needs your help. Thus, please get out from Nairobi, Kenya and help this people physically!

Yasir also briefed that Somalis have problem in trusting INGO because they come, they put down the goods, take picture and off they go!

I’m not complaining, but I guess some NGO or people making humanitarian work as a glamour thing to do. It looks sexy. I hope you get what I meant. They forgot the main reason why they are called humanitarian worker. It involves humanity, HEAVILY!

Childhood

I have 2 kids. Maleec Ismael, 3, and Aaron Idris, 1. I love both of them very much. I just can't describe how much I love them both. I want nothing but the best in their life. I believe every parents want the same for their kids. However, Allah tests each of us in different way. Some are very rich and Allah test them on how they use their wealth to help others. Some are not well in health and Allah tests on how patient are they in facing their illness.

This year, can say almost everyday I bought my Iftar dishes from Pasar Ramadhan. There, I can see lots of kids, as old as 4-5 years old, helping their parents selling food. It happens to be their parents finding money to support their life by selling food at Pasar Ramadhan. Its not a bad job, but I just feel so pity to the kids.

This evening I saw a kid, wearing an apron,  was attending his younger brother as old as Aaron on the stroller. His brother was crying, perhaps because he was bored or just didn't feel good staying on the stroller for a long time. So the older brother was pushing the stroller in circle as he has no where else to go, to comfort his little brother. I bet it is the last resort for their parents to bring them to their workplace.

At the busy Pasar Ramadhan, don't be surprise if you see mother and their kids on the road floor, asking for people's donation. Some of their kids are ill, not normally healthy like our kids. Some have normal kids, but their life is hard, must be staying under poverty line. Many times I saw babies stay at their mom's tits, just make me wonder is the milk is fully nutritional like us who can eat everything at anytime.

We may have different childhood experience. But as parents, we should plan the best for our offspring. Their life rely a lot on us. We are the one who mold them. Their presence determine their future. May Allah protect  all of us. Amin.

I Am Happy!

I feel good today. So good! So good!

Ok, hihihi... lemme story mory what happened today....

Eventually I applied a position in IRC-RSC as Caseworker. I'm excited (yes, till now!) when I learned that I was shortlisted for interview. I studied as if I have to get four flat. I studied hard.

And of course I managed to answered all the questions well.

But what made me so happy today is that I had the opportunity to be in UNHCR compound! OMG! It's like dream come true. That is a real battle. Helping out refugees is forever an emergency response.

Thanks so much for the opportunity!

New Environment

Today marks 5 days me working at MERCY Malaysia. I'm a Disaster Risk Reduction (DRR) Officer under DRR Department, under Operation Division. Currently I have no Head of Department as Puteri, Aishah's friend, left. So the acting HoD is the Operation GM. There are 4 officers including myself, an assistant and an intern. I have two projects under my belt and is looking to add more project that will keep me super busy.

Today also, I'm the only one left in the department as some are out for mission, training, and also on leave. I have nothing to do except for browsing the blogs, jumping from one to another. Currently, the leftover in the office are enjoying watching movie (I don't even bother to ask for the title) and I'm here on my desk, scribbling this note.

Life has been crazy since I started working on Monday. Travelling by LRT and has more than 10 stations to stop, make me tired. I always arrive early to work, say at 8.40am because I want to leave early. Juma will fetch me at Taman Melati station as he already at his mom's once I start make my journey back home. Usually I'll be super exhausted once I reach home and off to sleep at around 9.50 pm.

Lunch is not much hassle as in Ampwalk last time as Pasar Seni offers variety of food. I have my lunch gang already, or if I have no choice, I'll go with Takako, our GM. I know already which places offer good price for food. I like eating at my desk as I'm a very lone ranger type of person but a makcik made a complain on it.

So far, I'm enjoying my work in Mercy Malaysia. It's a new challenge and I'm up to it.

My outfit on the very first day