"As long as its not your child", child activist slams abusive xenophobic comments on viral Rohingya boy

SHAH ALAM - Child activist Datuk Dr Hartini Zainuddin has spoken out against attacks by social media users on a video clip depicting a Rohingya child acting aggressive while begging on the streets.

The Yayasan Chow Kit co-founder criticised the woman in the video who raised her hand in a threatening manner, saying “Jangan kacau eh” (Don’t disturb eh) while the kid proceeded to demand RM1 from her.

The lady then responded by shouting “Apa masalah kau?” (What’s your problem?) and followed by the child, who looked about seven or eight-years old, shouting back at her in anger.

“Who think it’s okay to be abusive to children, raise your hand? Don’t care who the person is? You think it’s okay? “Don’t let the go to school, don’t feed them, they become beggars.

“They are conditioned to to ask and people are rude to you, and scold you, you’re supposed to be grateful and smiley (smiling)?” she said in a Twitter posting.

Twitter users also joked about organ harvesting which led to Hartini asking “And it’s okay to joke about organ harvesting? And be more abusive”.

She said of course it was okay because it is not your child thus making it a different situation. She added the hashtags #notmychild #dontcare.

She even said that she couldn’t wait for the xenophobic Malaysians to attack her for the tweets as she was an adult and could take it in.

However, she said they chose to attack children which makes them “so clever and courageous”.

Hartini added saying “So Malaysian. So nationalistic. So right? No!” “Anyone who attacks children are bullies!” said said.

Hartini said she prays no children will be insulted and abused like this, not even one.

The child in the video looked similar to another viral video two days ago, which saw a boy approaching motorist at a traffic light somewhere in Cheras, also acting aggressively.

A twitter user naked Subiah Bos (@subiahbos) said shudder to think about the exploration they are subject to.

Hartini in return replied: “For sure. Wish they were in school. During the day. They shouldn’t be out on the streets, open to abuse and exploitation. It’s terrible. Add Rohingyan refugees- then there’s xenophobic tendencies and hate. Never mind that they’re entitled to special protection”.

Filmaker and Twitter influencer Zara Kahan also spoke out about the matter, especially those who poke fun at the #MigranJugaManusia movement and demanded those supporting it to experience “real” situation on the ground first before simply defending the refugees.

Zara said she has been in situation where these “illegal” immigrants had threatened her with a knife and robbed her house and still believed that migrants were still human and met “incredibly kind and wonderful refugees/immigrants”.

“Following their logic - my experience of getting snatched theft by a mat rempit means I should treat all Malaysa like criminals. That would be incredibly dumb, no? “Please. Your ethnicity/race does not determine your worth or behaviour,” she said.

Zara commented on the video of the Rohingya child banging on the car door, describing it as very troubling.

Not because is doing a so-called criminal act, she said, but because he was a child, maybe aged seven or eight, and was desperate.

“That poor child,” she said.

Many social media users on both Twitter and Instagram harped on the same points, which “if you have never experienced them don’t talk much”.

Xenophobic comment included people spewing anger to fellow Malaysians for “backing-up” the Rohingya people and how they came illegally to the country and expected to be treated like royalty.