Malaysia is sending search-and-rescue operations to aid thousands of migrants believed to be adrift in Southeast Asian waters, backtracking on its previous statements that it wouldn’t send such missions to avoid becoming a magnet for illegal immigrants.
Facing growing international pressure to deal with the crisis, Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Razak on Thursday said he had ordered the Royal Malaysian Navy and Malaysian Maritime Enforcement Agency to rescue migrants, saying it was “basic human compassion” to give food to the hungry and medical aid to the sick.
Roughly 7,000 migrants from Myanmar and Bangladesh are believed to be at sea after being abandoned by human smugglers threatened by Thailand’s recent anti-human-trafficking campaign….
Treated as illegal immigrants in Buddhish-majority Myanmar, the Rohingya Muslims have been forced to live in ghetto-like camps, and many have been killed in rioting between religious groups.
U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Antony Blinken met with Myanmar’s president and other leaders Thursday to express, among other things, Washington’s concern about the migrant crisis, ….
So, Najib has now given permission to Malaysia’s military (which has cost the taxpayer billions) to start looking for the pathetic families he ordered to be tossed onto the high seas just days ago to avoid expense.
How many will be found and how many have already drowned of these thousands of men, women and children we wait to see.
But, the Prime Minister’s conscience did not come from his own heart and judgement, which we have to conclude are made of stone and cotton wool respectively.
It came after international shock and condemnation at his callous act towards the world’s most vulnerable people, fellow Muslims to boot.
Najib, the spendthrift of 1MDB, didn’t want to ‘waste’ money on helping these people, until world opinion forced him.
Yet, he has presided over hundreds of millions spent on his family weddings, fancy US apartments, jets and smutty movie-making by his son.
For Najib and Rosmah is it family first, second, third and fourth, plainly. The rest can… well jump in the sea.