MAY 21 — I had a short consulting stint once long ago with a small firm. A lot of consultants like sexy terms but the one phrase that comes to my mind today is “analysis paralysis”: the analysis goes on and on in an infinite loop, leaving no space for action at all.
Analysis paralysis is becoming an excuse to do nothing as we face a refugee crisis in the Andaman Sea. Since the crisis is a complex issue, there are so many questions begging an answer.
Should we let them in? Where would we house them in Malaysia if we do? How long should they stay? Should Malaysia bear the cost alone? Should they be allowed to work in Malaysia? Should someone else take them later?
Should we not put pressure on Myanmar to stop persecuting the Rohingyas, accept them as equal and thus address the issue at its root cause? Would more come if we let the refugees reach our northern shores? Are they legitimate refugees? How do we get to the smugglers? How do we prevent this from snowballing?
Activists wrapped in burial shrouds lie in for a silent protest in solidarity with the Rohingya migrants, near Merdeka Square in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia May 30, 2015. ― Reuters pic
Rohingya and Bangladeshi migrants attend Friday mass prayers at an immigration shelter in Medan, in Indonesia's North Sumatra province May 29, 2015 in this photo taken by Antara Foto. ― Reuters pic
An Indonesian police officer walks beside Rohingya migrants as they walk to collect breakfast at a temporary shelter in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia May 27, 2015. — Reuters pic
A young Rohingya migrant waits in line to collect breakfast at a temporary shelter in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia May 27, 2015. — Reuters pic
A young Rohingya migrant who arrived in Indonesia last week by boat plays inside a temporary shelter in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia May 27, 2015. — Reuters pic
Rohingya migrants who arrived recently by boat receive their breakfast at temporary shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 25, 2015. — Reuters pic
Rohingya migrants who arrived recently by boat eat their breakfast at temporary shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 25, 2015. — Reuters pic
Indonesian health workers check on the condition of a Rohingya migrant, who arrived recently by boat, at a temporary shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 25, 2015. — Reuters pic
Bangladeshi migrants, who arrived in Indonesia this week by boat, carry wood to be used as flooring inside their tents at a temporary shelter in Aceh Timur regency, near Langsa in Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 24, 2015. — Reuters pic
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Rohingya migrants who arrived in Indonesia this week by boat wait to receive new clothing at a temporary shelter for refugees in Aceh Timur regency, near Langsa in Indonesia's Aceh Province May 24, 2015. — Reuters pic
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A migrant who arrived in Indonesia this week by boat washes outdoors at the end of the day at a temporary shelter in Aceh Timur regency, near Langsa in Indonesia's Aceh Province May 24, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Rohingya migrant mother, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, holds a placard for her son getting a picture taken for identification purposes inside a temporary compound for refugees in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia‘s Aceh Province May 21, 2015.
Rohingya migrants, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, attend a mass prayer inside a temporary compound for refugees in Aceh Timur regency, Indonesia‘s Aceh Province May 21, 2015.— Reuters pic
Rohingya migrant children who arrived by boat, receive biscuits from a volunteer at the port of Julok village in Kuta Binje, Indonesia‘s Aceh Province, May 20, 2015. — Reuters pic
A volunteer (left) lifts up a Rohingya migrant who arrived by boat, onto a truck for medical treatment, at the port of Julok village in Kuta Binje, Indonesia‘s Aceh Province, May 20, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Rohingya child, who arrived by boat, drinks water at the port of Julok village in Kuta Binje, Indonesia‘s Aceh Province, May 20, 2015. — Reuters pic
A volunteer gives biscuits to Rohingya migrants who arrived by boat at the port of Julok village in Kuta Binje, Indonesia‘s Aceh Province, May 20, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Rohingya mother, who arrived by boat, hands her child to a volunteer at the port of Julok village in Kuta Binje, Indonesia's Aceh Province, May 20, 2015. — Reuters pic
Rohingya migrants women, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, holds their new mattresses, for sleeping, inside a shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia‘s Aceh Province, May 19, 2015. — Reuters pic
Rohingya migrants, who recently arrived in Indonesia by boat, sit while waiting for their breakfast inside a shelter in Kuala Langsa, in Indonesia‘s Aceh Province, May 19, 2015. — Reuters pic
Rohingya migrants carry their belongings to a bigger shelter inside a temporary compound for refugees in Kuala Cangkoi village, Lhoksukon, Indonesia’s Aceh Province May 18, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Rohingya migrant woman carries a bottle of drinking water in Kuala Cangkoi village in Indonesia's Aceh Province May 18, 2015. — Reuters pic
Rohingya migrants queue up for their breakfast in Kuala Cangkoi village in Indonesia's Aceh Province May 18, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Malaysian navy vessel patrols waters near Langkawi island, May 17, 2015. — Reuters pic
Migrants are seen aboard a boat tethered to a Thai navy vessel, in waters near Koh Lipe island, May 17, 2015. — Reuters pic
Migrants are seen aboard a boat tethered to a Thai navy vessel, in waters near Koh Lipe island, May 17, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Rohingya migrant holds a red balloon as he stands beside a temporary toilet in Kuala Cangkoi village in Aceh May 17, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Rohingya migrant woman covers her face in Kuala Cangkoi village inIndonesia's Aceh Province May 17, 2015. — Reuters pic
Rohingya migrants stand in line with plates for breakfast in Kuala Cangkoi village in Indonesia's Aceh Province May 17, 2015. — Reuters pic
A Rohingya migrant holds her child's hand as they wait for breakfast inside a temporary compound for refugees in Kuala Cangkoi village in Indonesia's Aceh Province May 17, 2015. — Reuters pic
Not all of the questions can be answered immediately and satisfactorily. As a layperson, I definitely do not have the answers. Even those in power struggle to provide any.
In the absence of a clear answer, shamefully the default action is doing nothing except for turning the boats back to the open sea. Casually reading the news, we know that there are deaths as governments stand still with doors shut. They have nowhere to go as their food and water supply dwindle.
Our own government is under pressure to open up but sadly they can take heart from some members of public – be they columnists, letter writers, activists or just a voice on the internet – suffering from analysis paralysis.
They want all the questions to be answered first before we do anything beyond turning the boats away, leaving the weak and the oppressed to the sharks.
How long it will take to answer the questions, nobody knows. These Malaysians, paralyzed by questions, are so afraid of making mistakes that they must have their certainties. Do not be emotional, they would say. “Think, think!” shout the Vulcan-wannabes, effectively telling the government to stay on course.
The truth is that there will be nothing to think about when all the refugees die. Solutions that come too late are no solution at all. So I charge these Malaysians as lacking urgency.
They are those in the exam halls wanting all the time in the world to complete their papers. Think however much you want. Take your time. But when the time is up and the sheet is empty, you will get an F.
We are a relatively rich country, even as the corrupt powers that be brew their financial scandals in Kuala Lumpur and Putrajaya, even as we have poor of our own. And we are perpetually in need of workers. Our country is young and we need all the manpower to build our infrastructure. We can afford to have the refugees in while we find a solution to the mess.
But I feel the issue is never about money. Instead, we are short on humanity.
All of that analysis paralysis is just a way to hide our heartlessness.
* This is the personal opinion of the columnist.