WITH escalating cost of living hitting everyone hard, it is no surprise that rumours have been circulating that foreign workers have resorted to using ‘exotic’ meats to supplement their meals.
The latest involves a rumour that foreign workers in Sitiawan were selling canine satay. Social media user who goes by the name of Md Sani Md Shah claimed that Myammar and Bangladesh nationals were detained by the authorities for selling satay made of dog meat, near a hypermarket in Sitiawan, near Manjung.
However, the police has set the record straight by confirming that the rumour was untrue.
“I have not received any information about the incident and I am certain what was posted did not happen in Manjung,” stated Manjung police chief ACP Mohamed Nordin Abdullah when contacted by Bernama.
While this rumour may prove to be unfounded, they are likely to persist in light of old cases, such as the incident in Geylang Raya Bazaar in Singapore in 2017. A number of foreign workers were arrested for mixing dog and cat meat into satay marinade.
Furthermore, the increasing price of daily essentials is a strong reason to push foreign workers on meagre earnings to take action into their own hands. If ordinary Malaysians, especially the B40 segment are finding it hard to put food on the table, what more foreign labourers who earn much less?
Before reacting in disgust or posting puking emojis on social media, take a moment to understand what would motivate people to resort to such measures. Empty bellies can make people do weird things or stretch the boundaries of societal norms.
If foreigner workers were indeed resorting to consuming canine meat, perhaps they should be allowed to do so according to strict guidelines. The alternative would be starvation or increased crime as migrant workers grapple with the spiralling cost of living here in Malaysia. – Oct 27, 2023
