Fear and anxiety grip Malaysians in riot-hit UK

The Malaysian community in the United Kingdom has been gripped with fear and anxiety in the midst of the riots there.

Rahmah Ghazali, who lives in Sheffield, said the place has always been a multicultural city, known as the City of Sanctuary as it houses thousands of asylum seekers and immigrants.

However, Rahmah, 33, said she does not feel safe going out, as there were cases in which those with the hijab were attacked by anti-immigration demonstrators.

“I live in a mixed area, so going to the local shops is not a problem, but I will try to avoid going into the city centre.

“I won’t lie because there is always fear for our safety. In Middlesbrough, we saw drivers being attacked by thugs who did not let them go through,” the writer said on Monday.

She added that a riot was about to take place in the city centre on Sunday afternoon, but this was thwarted by counterprotesters who gathered there much earlier.

“One of the rioters was arrested. However, in Rotherham, just miles from Sheffield, things escalated after rioters set fire to a hotel housing asylum seekers,” she said.

Data scientist Matthew Leong, 29, who is based in London, said the situation there was less tense compared with Manchester and Liverpool.

“There are protests in Westminster but no violence due to police presence. However, I will keep tabs on the situation and hopefully, it doesn’t spread to London,” he said.

Another Malaysian, Matt Tan, 26, an architect who works in Manchester, said although the situation seems to have improved, tensions still appear to be high.

“I think the general public is still on high alert. There is still a police presence but mostly located in the city centre,” he said.

British High Commissioner to Malaysia Ailsa Terry said: “We are shocked