A Call for Justice, Humanity and Responsible Politics
Malaysia is facing genuine challenges involving immigration, undocumented workers, refugee management, employment, housing, public services and law enforcement.
These are legitimate matters for public discussion.
But there is an important difference between discussing a policy problem and blaming an entire community for society’s problems.
In recent months, Malaysians have increasingly encountered social-media videos and posts focusing on foreigners, including Rohingya refugees, Bangladeshis and other migrant communities. Some activists have filmed themselves visiting areas where foreigners live, questioning individuals and calling upon the authorities to take action.
Citizens have every right to raise concerns about immigration and enforcement.
At the same time, public discussion should be conducted carefully, because repeated generalisations about particular nationalities or communities can contribute to stereotyping, hostility and collective blame.
A genuine policy problem deserves a genuine policy solution—not a convenient scapegoat.
Let us distinguish the issues
This distinction is essential.
A refugee or asylum-seeker is not necessarily the same as a foreign worker, and neither category is synonymous with an undocumented migrant.
Malaysia has legitimate responsibilities to regulate immigration, employment and public order. Where laws are broken, the appropriate response is investigation and enforcement according to law.
But the conduct of an individual should not automatically be attributed to an entire nationality, ethnic group or refugee community.
If an employer illegally employs workers, investigate the employer.
If an agent exploits or traffics workers, prosecute the agent.
If an individual commits a crime, investigate that individual.
If immigration procedures are inadequate, improve them.
The rule of law works best when responsibility is individual rather than collective.
Economic problems require economic answers
Many Malaysians are genuinely worried about the cost of living, wages, housing, employment opportunities and economic security.
These concerns deserve serious attention.
But economic problems are complex. They involve wages, housing costs, inflation, employer practices, productivity, labour shortages, corruption, enforcement, skills mismatches, public policy and wider economic conditions.
It is therefore too simplistic to attribute every economic difficulty experienced by Malaysians to foreigners.
This does not mean that migrant labour creates no challenges.
It means that we should examine each claim with evidence rather than allowing frustration to become collective blame.
A question about political responsibility
Political parties, activists and civil-society organisations have every right to campaign on immigration policy.
They also have a responsibility to communicate accurately.
Where public campaigns involving immigration are organised or promoted by political actors, the public is entitled to ask reasonable questions about their evidence, objectives and sources of support.
This is not an accusation against any particular individual or political party.
It is simply a principle of responsible public discourse:
The more powerful the campaign, the more important transparency and evidence become.
Political competition should not turn vulnerable communities into permanent symbols of everything that is wrong with society.
Do not allow social media to become our courtroom
Social media can expose genuine wrongdoing.
It can also create an illusion that filming, confronting and publicly humiliating someone is equivalent to justice.
It is not.
A TikTok video is not a court.
A viral accusation is not automatically evidence.
A crowd’s anger is not a legal verdict.
And nationality is not proof of guilt.
Malaysia has courts, enforcement agencies and established legal procedures for dealing with violations.
Where there is credible evidence of wrongdoing, let the appropriate authorities investigate.
Where allegations are false, misleading or incomplete, they should not be amplified simply because they generate views.
What does Islam teach Muslims?
For Muslims, the principle is especially clear.
Islam does not teach Muslims to answer hostility with hostility.
Allah SWT says:
“Do not let the hatred of a people lead you to injustice. Be just; that is nearer to righteousness.”
— Qur’an 5:8
This is a profound principle.
Even when we dislike someone, we are commanded to remain just.
The Qur’an also teaches:
“O mankind! We created you from a male and a female, and made you into peoples and tribes so that you may know one another. Surely the most noble of you in the sight of Allah is the most righteous of you.”
— Qur’an 49:13
Human diversity is therefore not a licence for superiority.
Nationality, ethnicity, skin colour, language or social status cannot become a justification for humiliation.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ also warned believers against insulting, cursing and foul speech.
Therefore, Muslims who participate in public discourse should ask themselves a simple question:
Are our words bringing people closer to goodness—or pushing them further towards hatred?
Al-Maw’izah al-Hasanah: invite with wisdom
The Qur’an instructs believers to invite towards the way of Allah with wisdom and good counsel (al-maw’izah al-hasanah).
That principle should guide Muslims in Malaysia today.
If we want Malaysians to understand Islam, let us demonstrate rahmah—mercy.
If we want justice, let us demonstrate ‘adl—justice.
If we want respect for Muslims, let us demonstrate respect for others.
If we want Malaysians to reject racism, let us reject racism consistently.
If we oppose Islamophobia, we should also oppose hatred against any other community.
The strongest representation of Islam is not abusive language. It is Islamic character.
Vilification builds walls.
Wisdom opens doors.
Humiliation produces resentment.
Dignity creates the possibility of dialogue.
What about poor and vulnerable people?
Islam is especially clear about how society should treat vulnerable people.
The Qur’an teaches:
“Kind speech and forgiveness are better than charity followed by injury.”
— Qur’an 2:263
A person who is poor does not become less human.
A migrant does not become less human.
A refugee does not become less human.
A person without citizenship does not become less human.
Human dignity does not depend upon the colour of an identity card.
Islam commands Muslims to care for the poor, needy, orphan, traveller and vulnerable.
The Prophet Muhammad ﷺ himself was a Muhajir—a migrant.
The historical experience of the Muhajirun and the Ansar should make Muslims particularly sensitive to people who have been forced from their homes.
Malaysia can enforce the law without abandoning humanity
There is no contradiction between effective immigration enforcement and human compassion.
Malaysia has every right to regulate its borders.
Malaysia has every right to determine who may enter, work or remain in the country.
Malaysia has every right to investigate crime and prevent trafficking, exploitation and illegal employment.
But enforcement should focus on conduct and violations of law, rather than treating an entire community as responsible for the actions of particular individuals.
That is the difference between rule of law and collective punishment.
A message to Malaysian Muslims
Muslims should be among the first to defend justice—not because every foreigner is necessarily innocent, but because justice must be applied individually and consistently.
We should not defend wrongdoing merely because the accused is Muslim.
Nor should we condemn someone merely because he or she is foreign.
Justice means neither blind sympathy nor blind hostility.
It means evidence, fairness and humanity.
Allah SWT commands justice even when it is difficult.
Therefore, Muslims should become agents of unity and harbingers of mercy, not disruptors of social bonds.
Our responsibility is not merely to win arguments.
Our responsibility is to represent Islam with dignity.
One final question
Before sharing the next angry video about Rohingya, Bangladeshis or any other foreign community, perhaps we should pause and ask:
Does this information establish a genuine problem—or merely provide someone to blame?
Does it encourage lawful action—or collective hostility?
Does it bring Malaysian society together—or divide it?
And, for Muslims:
Would we be comfortable presenting these words before Allah SWT?
Malaysia has legitimate immigration concerns.
Malaysians have legitimate economic concerns.
Authorities have legitimate enforcement responsibilities.
Activists have legitimate freedom to campaign.
But all of these legitimate interests can coexist with human dignity, responsible speech and justice.
Let us enforce the law without losing our humanity.
Let us debate politics without manufacturing hatred.
Let us protect Malaysians without dehumanising foreigners.
And let us invite one another towards goodness—not through insults, humiliation and fear, but through wisdom, justice, mercy and excellent counsel.
— MMNN
