PUTRAJAYA, July 6 — Al Jazeera should apologize to the people of Malaysia for carrying an inaccurate documentary on the way Malaysia managed undocumented migrant workers in its fight against the COVID-19 pandemic, said Senior Minister (Security Cluster) Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob.
He said it was unethical of the journalist concerned to produce the documentary, which he described as misleading and baseless.
“As an international media organization, Al Jazeera should stop its action (of screening the documentary) and apologize to the people of Malaysia,” he told a news conference on the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) here today.
The 20-minute documentary, titled “Locked Up in Malaysia’s Lockdown”, alleged that Malaysia discriminated against illegal immigrants when it took steps to curb the spread of the coronavirus.
Ismail Sabri said Al Jazeera had also lied by claiming that children of illegal immigrants had been treated cruelly, including being taken to the Immigration Detention Depots (DTI) in handcuffs.
However, the reality is that the children were not handcuffed and were in fact separated from other detainees and placed together with their parents, he added.
“This is a fact. Al Jazeera did not wish to know the facts and maliciously accused us of being racist, which is also untrue,” he said.
Ismail Sabri stressed that the arrest of illegal immigrants was based on Malaysia’s Immigration Act, which provides for action against immigrants without valid documents, a move consistent with the laws of other countries too.
He challenged Al Jazeera to name any countries which give absolute freedom to illegal immigrants in their territories.
“As far as I know there is none. I believe there is no country which gives freedom to foreigners with expired visas,” he said.
— BERNAMA
More Stories
Socso’s Lindung 24/7 Scheme To Be Implemented By Mid-Year – Ramanan
Trade Performance, Year One Pupil Entry Among Focus Of Today’s Dewan Rakyat Sitting
President Putin Welcomes Sultan Ibrahim At Hermitage Museum