COMMENT | I have always believed in human rights for all. Over the years, I would like to believe that I have also evolved my work so that I can do something to protect, preserve or promote these rights.

One of the issues important to work on is how we treat migrants and refugees.

A few weeks ago, a basketball friend, who shall go by the name of Shahrul, said to me that he can’t stand the Rohingya, who apparently have a community living near his area in Cyberjaya.

He says that they are dirty, rude, rough and do not seem to contribute much to society.

I argued that these are just stereotypes that everyone in Malaysia is talking about. There are bad hats in any community or ethnic group, we just can’t blanket them all as such.

Shahrul rebutted, saying that I would change my mind if I tried living with the Rohingya. My ego got the better of me, and I started spewing about the times I’ve...