Untitled

[ketbow]

The Rohingya constitute an ethnic minority primarily residing in Myanmar (Burma), a Southeast Asian country. Predominantly Muslim and speaking a dialect of the Bengali language, the Rohingya have a history marred by discrimination, marginalization, and persecution in Myanmar. The government of Myanmar has denied them citizenship and imposed restrictions on fundamental rights and services, such as healthcare, education, and freedom of movement. This community has endured various human rights abuses, including violence, forced labor, sexual assault, and mass displacement. Ongoing persecution has compelled many Rohingya to flee their homes, seeking refuge in neighboring countries. Among these destinations, Malaysia stands out as a relatively more receptive host for Rohingya refugees compared to Myanmar and other neighboring nations. The journey to Malaysia for Rohingya refugees often involves perilous routes, including dangerous sea voyages.

This reflective journal was written as my experience when executing this programme. Previously in Usrah in Action 1, we sought the problem that occurred between Malaysian and Rohinya. Based on a survey that we conducted, they did not go well with each other due to the stigmatization, poor hygiene, and different cultures and ethnicities. As the solution, we planned to organize a program that can increase the bond between them by initiating a gotong-royong and mini-games for kids.. This program was held at Dewan Orang Ramai, Kg Balok. With the help of Tok Mansor, Ketua Kampung Balok, he invited all the Rohingya and Malaysian communities. 

As a preparation, we decided to buy some goodies and refreshments for breakfast. Fortunately, Tok Mansor also gave some basic supplies such as cooking oil and rice bags to Rohingya. Additionally, we got other financial support from our course advisor, Dr, Fahmida. We also planned to bring the kettles to prepare the tea and PA system for the religious speech and mini-games for kids. As for my minor preparation, I brought my personal camera for the event as our proof media. On the main day (14th January 2024), we gathered at the Mahallah Activity Centre 1 (MAC1) around 7.30 a.m. Then we departed to Dewan Orang Ramai Balok by van, driven by Brother Mus and reached around 8 a.m.

At the Dewan Kampung Balok, we got welcomed by the community leader, Tok Mansor and entered the empty hall. Then, we started to plug in the extensions and boil water to make hot tea. The other students did tasks such as setting up the PA system, preparing the table for prizes and arranging the table for registration. The Rohingya community actively participated by arriving at the designated booth and completing the registration process. Following this, the program commenced with the recitation of Doa, a religious speech, and a comprehensive briefing about the upcoming cleaning session. The community demonstrated a commendable commitment to their responsibilities, showcasing a strong work ethic and dedication to the tasks at hand. As the person in charge of photography, my task is to snap memorable pictures, of both the cleaning session and the mini-game session. The cleaning session was held outside of the hall whereas the mini-game was held in the hall. Based on my observation, the Rohingya community exhibited exemplary efforts in cleaning the compound. During the mini-games, the children were closely supervised by their mothers. In the warm-up session, the children displayed enthusiasm and willingly participated in the activities. Despite the language barrier between our community and the Rohingya, there was a natural understanding, allowing effective communication and cooperation to take place. 

The program proceeded seamlessly until its conclusion. By 11 a.m., we had successfully completed both the cleaning session and the mini-games. Subsequently, we initiated the distribution of food to the participants as breakfast. The sight of a large crowd gathering during the distribution made me acutely aware of the potential lack of access to essential food and basic necessities among the Rohingya community. During the prize-giving ceremony, we extended invitations to the community leader, who was followed by our advisor, to present the prizes. The ceremony commenced with a lucky draw and the acknowledgment of winners from the mini-games. The recipients conveyed their joy and gratitude for the recognition. As a concluding moment, we captured a memorable photograph in the hall, marking the conclusion of the event.

Following the conclusion of the program, we reflected on its overall smooth execution as anticipated. However, we also identified some disadvantages and shortcomings. Notably, according to the registration records, all 20 participating families were Rohingya, with no indication of any Malaysian families attending our program. This realization was somewhat disappointing as the primary goal of the event was to enhance the bond between Malaysians and Rohingya. In light of this, we recognized our section as representatives of the Malaysian community and acknowledged the need to explore strategies to promote broader participation in future initiatives. Furthermore, there were expressions of dissatisfaction from some Rohingya participants regarding the lucky draw. In essence, it became apparent that some of the Rohingya, particularly the mothers, attended the program primarily for the free prizes and basic supplies. Ideally, the joy of witnessing their children's happiness during the mini-games should have contributed to their overall satisfaction. Nevertheless, it is gratifying to note that the children and young men provided positive feedback about our program, highlighting a positive impact on at least a segment of the participants. Some of them initiated conversation with us, showing the friendly side of them to us. This feedback serves as encouragement despite the noted challenges. In conclusion, we take great pride in the successful achievement of our objectives for the program. Firstly, we effectively addressed and dissolved the existing social dilemma between the Rohingya and Malaysian communities. Secondly, our efforts were dedicated to instilling the crucial values of living together and unity from an early childhood age, fostering a sense of harmony among participants. Lastly, the collaborative "gotong-royong" activity undertaken by both communities allowed us to contribute towards environmental sanitation in the Balok area, showcasing the positive outcomes that can arise from joint efforts and shared responsibilities. Prepared by: MUHAMMAD SYAKIR BIN RAMLI 2115197 Advisor :  ASST. PROF. DR. NILAR WIN @ FAHMIDA

SCSH 3164: USRAH IN ACTION 2

SECTION 830

[ketbow]

REFLECTIVE JOURNAL OF SOCIAL COHESION BETWEEN ROHINGYA AND MALAYSIAN AT KAMPUNG SEBERANG BALOK

The Rohingya are an ethnic minority group primarily residing in Myanmar (Burma), a country in Southeast Asia. They are predominantly Muslim and speak a dialect of the Bengali language. The Rohingya have faced a long history of discrimination, marginalization, and persecution in Myanmar. The government of Myanmar has denied them citizenship and restricted their access to basic rights and services, such as healthcare, education, and freedom of movement. The Rohingya have been subjected to various forms of human rights abuses, including violence, forced labor, sexual assault, and mass displacement. Due to the ongoing persecution, many Rohingya people have been forced to flee their homes and seek refuge in neighboring countries. Malaysia is one of the countries that has received a significant number of Rohingya refugees. Malaysia has been seen as a relatively more welcoming country for Rohingya refugees than Myanmar and other neighboring countries. Rohingya refugees often undertake dangerous journeys, including by boat, to reach Malaysia. 

This self-reflection journal is written as the experience to do a survey about Rohingya and Malaysian. Including their safety, assurance, finances, and their count of households. For Malaysian, we make a survey about Rohingyas’ activity and their comfortable living with Rohingya. Social cohesion reflects the level of harmony, cooperation, and shared values among individuals and groups within a society. Hence, our project aims to seek factors that affect social cohesion between Rohingya and Malaysian communities in the Balok area. Using the questionnaires, we interviewed 20 Rohingya households and 12 Malaysian households in the Balok area. In this project, it is proven there are social cohesion challenges between the Rohingya and Malaysians. 

For the preparation before moving to Kampung Seberang Balok. We discussed the souvenirs with the respondents and the leader of the Rohingya society. We decided to book the IIUM bags and some refreshments there. We also decided to prepare 30 questionnaires for both Rohingya and Malaysian respondents.  The preparation took us about three days to buy and prepare them. For the community leader, we decided to give him a mini jug as a souvenir. For my small preparation, I brought my personal camera for the event as our proofs media. On that day, we assembled at IIUM Kulliyyah of Science (KOS) main lobby for the van at 8.00 a.m. Our lecturer, Dr Asmida gave us some briefing about the place we will go and some advice. She told me that the majority of Rohingya there can’t speak Bahasa Melayu fluently. That might be a big challenge when progressing the survey. So we maybe need a translator such as a community leader. Additionally, two of my team are international students. So they need two translators to translate Bengali to Bahasa Melayu, then from Bahasa Melayu to English. Subsequently, at about 9.00 a.m., the van came. We reached there about 10 a.m. 

On the survey spot. We get appreciated by the community leader and some of the Rohingyas. Then we gave the souvenirs to the community leader and have a photo.

My objective is to interview 3 Rohingya and 2 Malaysian households. The environment is quite messy and unmanaged-well. For my first survey, the Rohingya is quite blundered when he spoke since he can’t speak Bahasa Malaysia well. To deal with this problem and make it go well, I decided to ask him in a simpler way to make him answer confidentially. For instance, I asked him a yes or no question first, then use some body language to enhance our communication. After that, I helped my international friend to do a survey by being her translator. Since Rohingya can’t speak English well. I volunteered to translate for her to smooth this experience. From this interview, I learned that most Rohingya can’t speak fluently, or even worse than that. I personally think that they are not educated well. Since they do not have enough money to make it. I’m touched by one of the Rohingya. He stated that he don’t have any money to bring his daughter to the hospital. He begged me and IIUM community to help him. His daughter have a fever for about 3 days and he cried over me, showing his desperation. After three of the Rohingya had been interviewed, we moved to the Malaysian community to do a survey. It was a little exhausting since it was a sunny day and in the afternoon. We found that it was easier since both of us can speak Bahasa Malaysia well. Time passed by, and we finished doing a survey at 2.00 p.m. 

After finishing the program, I need to gather all the surveys and conclude them. To be honest, the result is quite unsatisfactory. To summarize, Malaysian isn’t happy enough living with Rohingya due to difference in culture, poor hygiene, and environment. My personal thought is the egoistic and stigmatization against Rohingyan by Malaysian. I felt sympathy toward the Rohingya, they are not want to live here. It’s due to the war in their country makes them have no choices. The government is not controlling their immigration either legal or illegal. As Islam, we need to protect their safety by giving them a house and the right to work. I really hope Malaysians are not discriminated against them. As a student, my power is superficial, but in the next program, I will help them with financial support and assure a harmonious environment with Malaysian. I read the news that IIUM officially takes Rohingya refugees to study on its campus. It was one step closer to help them and give the right to live in this country. From these sustainable issues, I learned that all people need to be served equally and stop discrimination and racism. Because it will give a huge negative impact on the country.

Prepared by : Muhammad Syakir bin Ramli (2115197)

SCSH-2163 Section 830