I’ve been living in Malaysia for 10 years now. I’ve came here since I was a teenage, I’ve studied here and I am working here as an expatriate. I had cars here, rented properties and paid a significant amount of Tax during my stay.

2 years ago I found myself not being covered by any health insurance from the organisation that I work for. prior to that I have always been covered by insurance applied from the university that I study on. So I decided to buy myself a personal health insurance, that would be something that could be expected from people like me, after all I am sort of staying here permanently, its true that I am not holding a PR but being under a Employment Pass would suffice.

I called the usual insurance agent whom I’d always go to for renewing my car road-tax & insurance, he found me a plan from AXA Malaysia and I opt in for it.

Yesterday morning I received a phone call from the same guy, he told me that AXA contacted regarding them not being able to renew my health insurance because of sanctions against my country. hearing this was very disappointing to him as well as me, well I know there are sanctions placed against my birth country government by USA but I had no idea that in Malaysia it is going to this extent that they decide to attack an individual’s health plan.

I remember that there were times that I was not given proper financial & banking services here due to the sanctions, like last time when I was applying for a credit cards banks did not do good job about that, but knowing today it went to the next level up to simply denying a right which I willingly pay for it, a health insurance is pure Racism.

There seems to be a memo from BNM (Bank Negara Malaysia) regarding dealing with individuals whom are associated with the departments which are targeted by sanctions in my country, but the fact that banks & insurance companies are using it to attack individuals like me is outrageous.

The insurance agent tried to make some calls to other insurance companies looking for an alternative for me, but unfortunately the result was shockingly bad. he called me starting his sentence with “mahdi, can you change your nationality?”.

Thumbs Down to US, UN & whatever global organisations that are plotting these. I’d love the world to hear my complains loud that whatever these countries and bullies claim on human rights, sanctions not targeting normal people and etc is utter lies. looking at how these sanctions can impact quality of life for me who is thousands of kilometres away from Iran for more than 10 years, you can expect how bad the situation of medical supplies be for the people who are within the country.

Today racism is not about whats the color of your skin, it’s about where you coming from. it’s all about commercial politics. Today’s world is the world of bullying.

PS: I am very disappointed by Malaysian Government & Bank Negara’s shortcomings on handling such situations & not having a plan to stop organisations such as banks denying to give me the service I deserve or insurance companies basically telling me that I must go and Die in an indirect way.