The Malaysian Insight

SOCIETY and the governing powers are not doing enough to combat xenophobia and racism, especially against migrants in times of crisis, said two storytellers who hope to change the narrative.

Allie Hill, 48 and Amin Kamrani, 25, are highlighting Kuala Lumpur’s population diversity to emphasise inclusivity for those who are cast aside.

Allie’s graphic design talent and Amin’s photography skills are combined in a nation-building photo zine project entitled Portraits of a Diverse City – Stories of Migration in Kuala Lumpur.

The aim is to show that the presence of “others” is not a threat but a blessing. They find the message particularly apt at this point in time as people tend to grow fearful and irrational during a pandemic .

“When many people are furious and scared at what is happening in the world, they point fingers at the most vulnerable members of society,” Amin told The Malaysian Insight.

Amin is from Iran but has called KL home since 2011. Allie is a third-generation Malaysian Chinese.

In their art adventure, they share not only their experiences but the inspiring stories of their immigrant friends.

Allie said xenophobia in Malaysia was a long, unresolved issue.

“Kuala Lumpur is a city that was birthed in diversity. Right from the start, this muddy confluence of two rivers – rich with tin and opportunity – attracted migrants from as far as China, Sri Lanka, India and all over the Nusantara.

“How have we Malaysians, as children of migrants, got to this point of now saying that other migrants do not have the right to share in the wealth and development, especially in the context of a globalised and interconnected economy?

“Muhibbah to me means (amid) imperfection and difficulty, we can find the capacity and the skill, as well as the generosity and courtesy, to live well together.”

She said she had embarked on the project to break personal and subconscious prejudices.

“Initiatives like this are nice but I am aware that they are merely small plasters trying to patch a really big wound. We still need to address the really painful questions with honesty.

“Maybe we need to stop listening to the politicians and start listening to our hearts,” Allie said.

The inaugural issue of their magazine, Portraits of a Diverse City is now out. The publication is funded by the Diverse Voices Media Grant 2020 under Projek Dialog.

“The message of our project is so important that we would have made it happen even without funding and support,” Amin said.

“The grant we received might not be that much but it definitely helped us to make this reality.” – November 22, 2020.