Pakistan – A blemished Image in Malaysia
On 25 June 2024, as many as 77 Pakistani nationals involved in begging and operating around Kuala Lumpur were arrested. These Pakistani nationals involved in begging in Malaysia were found to have entered the country on tourist visas.
The Pakistani High Commision in Kuala Lumpur has been forced to take cognizance of that growing numbers of Pakistani beggars in Malaysia which has not only caused embarrassment to the Pakistani community-at-large but is also adversely affecting Pakistan’s image.
It appears that Pakistani beggars travel frequently to Malaysia on tourist visas, also called VP (Social), which are valid for 30 days only. They then get up to 2 extensions of 30 days each from Immigration Department of Malaysia; and depart Malaysia within the stipulated time frame. As per videos and voice recordings circulating on social media, there is an organised syndicate involved in this act with presence of handlers ostensibly both in Pakistan and Malaysia.
This modus operandi of these beggar gangs is similar to how they travel to Mecca to beg. In the Middle East, gangs of professional beggars from Pakistan have been operating and facilitating other groups of beggars to cross over international borders pointing to an organised criminal activity. Pakistanis exploit pilgrim visas to gain entry into countries such as Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, and thereafter engage in begging in these foreign lands. Shockingly, a significant number of pickpockets arrested at holy sites were also identified as Pakistani nationals.
In January this year, a parliamentary committee expressed grave concern over the growing trend amongst Pakistanis resorting to begging in Saudi Arabia after going there for Umrah. In fact Saudi Arabia has raised concerns with Islamabad as a majority of people who travel to the Kingdom are involved in either begging or pickpocketing. Saudi Arabia told the Pakistani officials that the majority of the pickpockets arrested from within Makkah’s grand mosque are Pakistani nationals.
Research carried out over the course of years indicates that many analysts and academics share a perception that Pakistan lacks credibility within the international community. The results, summarised here, revealed that the factors people most closely associated with the country were corruption, terrorism, security, theft, beggary and deep seated misogyny. There was a generalised view of Pakistan as an underdeveloped, poor, militarised , extremist state. Incident after incident wherein Pakistanis are found to be involved in drug trafficking, prostitution rackets and not the least begging on international tourist visas in various capitals around the worlds has led to the country’s poor international reputation. The Reputation Institute in its annual RepTrak index has named Pakistan in the list of countries with the worst reputation.
While earlier professional Pakistani beggars primarily operated in Saudi Arabia, Iran, and Iraq, they have now expanded their activities in the southeast Asian countries, primarily Malaysia. Pakistanis in Malaysia form the largest Pakistani diaspora community in southeast Asia and they also make up the 6th largest group of foreign workers/nationals in Malaysia. The actual number of Pakistani people in Malaysia is generally understated, as the figure provided by the Pakistani Ministry of Labour merely assert that those who hold Pakistani citizenship. Many Pakistanis register themselves as Malays, so that they become eligible to receive state aid of Malaysian affirmative action policy under Article 153, but in fact they identify their ethnic roots as Pakistani.
Pakistani beggars in Kuala Lumpur are typically rude and obnoxious. The things that are normal in their home country become their modus of operation here in Malaysia. This includes knocking the window of cars at the traffic lights, forcing people to donate at restaurants, being rude if people refuse to donate, pulling or touching people with no consent. It is commonplace for Pakistani beggars pretending to be on crutches begging for money at the exit of stations especially at the LRT. Pakistani beggars, often as family wearing normal clothing with a baby in a stroller holding a sign “we are palestinian, help us” has also become a common occurrence. It was reported recently that the Pakistani government has a list of these professional beggars who harm the country’s image by travelling abroad to seek donations. However what if any action the Pakistani government which itself is going around begging given the country’s extremely poor economic indicators, will take is to tackle the matter is unclear.
