Refugees reminds us that everyone is equal: Seeking sanctuary

[ZIRC]

Life Sdn Bhd 7: Refugees served as a reminder that all human beings deserve dignity, no matter where they are from or how they live.

Imagine having to leave everything and everyone you’ve ever known. Imagine having to flee your home in the dead of night, with only the barest of essentials, never knowing if you will ever return. Imagine having to restart your life in a new place: a country where you do not know the language, you do not know the culture, and worst of all, you do not know anybody. Imagine living in fear and insecurity, with your rights denied, your choices forever misunderstood.

This sad reality, however, is the plight of many of the over 94,000 refugees and asylum-seekers registered with the United Nations High Commissioner Registry (UNHCR) in Malaysia today. Forced to form and foster communities of their own, with little access to legal employment or education, many of these refugees live challenging lives, with many Malaysians ignorant or apathetic to their plight.

Life Sdn Bhd 7: Refugees, recently held at the Actors Studio@ Lot 10, Kuala Lumpur, was a brave production staged to highlight the often-unheard story of the refugee. Directed by Datuk Faridah Merican and produced in collaboration with UNCHR, Life Sdn Bhd 7, like its previous instalments, featured real people coming forward to share their stories: in this case, seven courageous men and women who had risked almost everything by leaving their homes abroad and coming here in search of a better life.

Inspiring testimonies: The stories shared by the cast of Life Sdn Bhd 7 touched many hearts.

The show began with an introduction by Dr Susheela Balasundram, a health officer who has been actively involved with coordinating health and assistance programmes with the UNCHR since 2007.

Balasundram invited audiences to put themselves in the shoes of a refugee. She also clarified misconceptions most had about refugees, particularly the common confusion of migrants and refugees: while the former choose to leave their countries, the latter are compelled to do so, usually due to persecution, conflict or complex human rights issues.

It was then time for the refugees to take up the microphone. Telling their stories were Khampi, Ngun Siang, Raine, Sharifah and Trasia from Myanmar, Ahmed from Somalia, and Theepika from Sri Lanka. Speaking poignantly and passionately, these brave seven enlightened the audience on what life as a refugee was like, telling of the challenges they faced in coming here, the difficulties of living in a foreign culture, as well as their hopes and dreams for the future.

It was difficult not to be moved by their stories. Many of them had suffered so much: Raine, a nurse, shared about how her family had sold everything to come to Malaysia, only to lose it all after her bag got stolen upon arrival here. Khampi, a burly and forthright man, spoke passionately about nasty run-ins with local authorities, while Ngun Siang moved many with her story about having to flee her home country and say goodbye to her children, who she has not seen in many years.

Sharifah, a tall, pretty student was discriminated against while attending school, and her stories of loneliness and longing for acceptance were truly heart-wrenching. It was inspiring to see, however, that despite all the adversity these refugees had gone through, many still faced their circumstances with poise and optimism.

Despite different backgrounds and different circumstances, all the refugees were united in one aspect: their heartfelt desire to be accepted as individuals and given the same chances as anyone else.

“We refugees are not asking for extra attention,” said Khampi in his story. “We just ask for the same basic rights.”

“I am still a human being with flesh and bone,” Theepika reminded all of us. “We are the same.”

Refugee Ahmed sharing his experiences coming to Malaysia.

Miss Malaysia Universe 2011 and refugee rights advocate Deborah Henry was also present to share her experiences with refugees, and shared how an encounter with some young Somali children who could not read inspired her to set up the Fugee School, a learning centre for Somali refugee children and youths in Kuala Lumpur. Accompanying her was a group of young students aged between 12-14 years old.

Looking resplendent in traditional costumes of blue and white, they sang a spirited rendition of their country’s national anthem, Soomaaliyeeytoosoo.

Local singer-songwriters Ian Chow and Ariff Akhir performed two musical pieces for the production, while the refugees from Myanmar also performed a song in Burmese, The Same Earth. This was arguably the highlight of Life Sdn Bhd 7, due to the song’s simple yet powerful lyrics (English translation helpfully provided in the production’s program) and the passion shown by its performers.

Life Sdn Bhd has always been a powerful production series devoted to opening our eyes on issues we take for granted, and this instalment was no different.

The show was a much-need spotlight onto a misunderstood group that many of us take for granted, and a served as a reminder that all human beings deserve dignity, no matter where they are from or how they live.

The refugees featured should be commended for their courage and frankness. For far too long, their voices have been unheard, and hopefully this production can spread awareness and spur positive change for them.

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