COMMENT | Safety is a human right

COMMENT | It was Friday night, but no sound could be heard from the usually bustling condominium.

Just across the street, a busy string of mamaks was operating even though it was past midnight. The silence in the condominium was not because the residents were sound asleep.

An immigration raid was taking place inside.

Two hours earlier, a convoy of immigration vehicles had come into the condominium. Men and women in ash grey military fatigues ordered the entire building to be fully locked down.

The tenants, a significant portion being asylum seekers and refugees, were jolted into a fearful frenzy when they realised that the authorities were going door-to-door, checking everyone’s documents.

According to Malaysian Immigration Laws, there is no distinction between asylum seekers, refugees, and migrants without legitimate documents. All are considered illegal.