Undocumented workers during Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO)

Diana Peters and Marja Azlima Omar and Ramli Dollah and Wan Shawaluddin Wan Hassan (2022) Undocumented workers during Malaysia’s Movement Control Order (MCO). Migration Letters, 19. pp. 107-121. ISSN 1741-8984 (P-ISSN) , 1741-8992 (E-ISSN)

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Abstract

Malaysia has a significant population of migrant labour force. Out of the 5.5 million migrant workers in the country, more than half are reported to be undocumented, with the state of Sabah being home to the highest population of undocumented migrant workers majority from the Philippines and Indonesia. Since the 1970s the scale of migration increased drastically with the arrival of large number of Muslim refugees from the war-torn southern Philippines, and economic migrants from rural areas of Indonesia, in hopes of achieving better economic and food security. This steady flow of foreign labour also coincided with the state’s economic development plan which saw labour intensive sectors such as constructions, plantation and timber boom. However, when the Covid-19 pandemic began to spread in Malaysia, job opportunities drastically reduced as the government pulled the brakes on almost all economic sectors and closed off the borders. The Movement Controlled Order (MCO) announced nationwide beginning 18 March 2020 thus increased the vulnerability of the undocumented irregular migrants, as the economic threat in the form of loss of wages and movement restrictions decreased the food security of this group.

Item Type: Article
Keyword: Undocumented , Food insecurity , Movement Controlled Order , MCO
Subjects: H Social Sciences > HV Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology > HV1-9960 Social pathology. Social and public welfare. Criminology > HV640-645 Refugee problems
J Political Science > JV Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration > JV1-9480 Colonies and colonization. Emigration and immigration. International migration > JV6001-9480 Emigration and immigration. International migration
Department: FACULTY > Faculty of Social Sciences and Humanities
Depositing User: SAFRUDIN BIN DARUN -
Date Deposited: 26 Jul 2022 15:44
Last Modified: 26 Jul 2022 15:44
URI: https://eprints.ums.edu.my/id/eprint/33534

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