Methodist Church Malaysia supports migrant workers from Myanmar

The World Mission Fund is helping the Methodist Church in Malaysia support 150 migrant workers and their families, from Myanmar, with rice, groceries and COVID-19 tests where these enable job opportunities. (£4,400 from the World Mission Fund)

There are more than 550,000 Myanmar migrants in Malaysia, an estimated 250,000 are undocumented workers, according to the embassy. Malaysia depends on these migrant workers even though it does not allow all of them to achieve official status. Thousands of the Myanmar migrants in Malaysia have lost their jobs due to lockdowns imposed in the wake of the Covid-19 pandemic. The undocumented workers are always vulnerable and now find their hardships exacerbated by a crackdown against ‘illegal’ foreign workers.

The Methodist Church of Upper Myanmar (MCUM), with encouragement and help from Methodist Church Britain (MCB), initiated a ministry in cooperation with the Methodist Church in Malaysia (MCM) to provide pastoral support and worship opportunities for migrants in Malaysia from Myanmar. MCUM provides one of its ministers and MCM helps with accommodation and pastoral support. This has now been running successfully for some six years or so.

The current MCUM minister, Rev Sanga, wrote to the Global Relationships team (MCB) recently to share how severe the situation has become. At least seven undocumented migrants from Myanmar committed suicide during May and June after several months without any job or prospect of opportunities for work and fearing arrest amid an immigration crackdown, while at the same time not being able to return home. Even if they can find the money to cover the cost of travel, undocumented workers are not really able to return home. Many suffer from depression while stranded in their rooms. To make matters worse, jobless undocumented workers face difficulties paying their rent.

Rev Sanga set up a medicare scheme for migrants to which MCB gave a small start-up grant in 2015. He has also formed the Mizo Christian Fellowship (MCF) which is now part of the Malaysia Chin Christian Union (MCCU). There are around 17 Churches (fellowships) members in MCCU.

Rev Sanga says there are around 400 members in MCF and almost all have lost their jobs and incomes. They are struggling for food and rent. He therefore requests funding for the basic needs of rice and groceries for 150 families.  

Bishop Bishop Dr T. Jeyakumar of the Methodist Church in Malaysia – has shared with Global Relationships that,

‘The Methodist Church in Malaysia has also helped our Myanmar community in Kuala Lumpur during the recent COVID-19 lock down in providing the essential items of mostly food, rental, cost of testing for the virus and medical needs. These are known to us via Rev Sanga and we have responded by helping 20 families and another 25 families that belong to the Mizo community also in Kuala Lumpur.

The reports I have received so far from the Chair and a member of our Council of Missions overseeing this work is that there is still need for financial support even though there is now some respite in the lock down. A few of them are trickling into the restaurant business as daily paid wage earners. 

The latest report from our team states that there are still needs in these Myanmar Methodist communities here. Hence, funding from the UK Methodist Church will help meet their current economic, health and household needs.’

Through World Mission Partnership, Irish Methodists contribute to the World Mission Fund annually.