The director of Refuge for the Refugees recounts stories of kindness, generosity and dignity
"Very often, when we talk about the refugee community in Malaysia, it's either very xenophobic or we view them as so-called charity cases to be pitied," says Heidy Quah, founder and director of Refuge For The Refugees, an NGO that provides educational support and food aid to vulnerable migrant communities in the country.
"It's time we shift the narrative, give the community back their voice and share their plight in a way that's dignifying. If nothing else, it is to remember that refugees are people, just like you and I."
Besides being an advocate for the rights of marginalised groups, Quah is also a Queen's Young Leaders Award recipient and an associate professor at Taylor's College Lakeside Campus.
Rather than add to the negative attention that refugees have received or react to the hateful comments and death threats in response to her outspokenness on this cause, Quah sets the record straight about her personal experiences and takeaways from being on the frontlines with refugees in Malaysia. She shares snapshots of grace, kindness and triumph in the face of unspeakable adversity here.
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An elderly refugee man who volunteered to help
"When the pandemic first hit, I received a call from an Iranian refugee in his 60s, a chef with a very fatherly personality. Each week, he would call me to ask, 'Heidy, are you keeping alright? Do you have enough to eat? Are you taking care of yourself?'
"The pandemic had all but deprived him of the ability to work and yet he would offer help in any way he could. One time, I told him we were feeding around 1,000 families each week. Immediately, he asked if we needed help with deliveries and volunteered to help with his motorbike. We're talking about a man in his late 60s, with weak lungs and breathing problems. I was so impacted by his kindness."
The refugee volunteers who showed up early every time
"I remember last year when we were still getting used to serving a high volume of people. Our first two rounds of packing groceries took us many hours. I remember being so totally exhausted and so close to breaking down when I received a call from a refugee community offering to send 10 to 15 of their members to support us. We took up their offer and told them the call time would be 9am. They showed up at 8.30am.
"We had these 40-foot trailers coming in with groceries for 1,000 families. It was quite a sight and very overwhelming to unload. Yet, the volunteers started forming human chains, unloading the lorries with us. Each and every time they would come early in the morning, quietly finding ways to support the Malaysian community and other refugees."