PETALING JAYA: On Nov 21, Home Minister Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution Ismail said Malaysia is home to over 2.4 million registered foreign workers, with the majority employed in sectors such as manufacturing, construction, services, plantations, agriculture, domestic work and mining.
The International Organisation for Migration (IOM) 2023 report stated foreign workers are increasingly drawn to Malaysia for better economic opportunities due to the low wages, limited job prospects and lack of savings potential in their home countries.
However, leaving behind kith and kin to work in a foreign land has its challenges and heartaches too. An Indonesian who asked to be known only as Rasiyem, 42, left her village in Central Java at just 17. This was in 1999, just months after she got married. Financial struggles pushed her to come here.
She said she did not work in Indonesia and life was hard. Many from her village left for Malaysia to work, so she followed them. It was hard to leave her family, but the decision was necessary as Malaysia offered better opportunities and wages.
“I worked as a maid for a young Malay family with a newborn. Despite the challenges, cultural similarities and my employers’ kindness helped me adjust, and they treated me like family while I cared for the baby and cleaned.
“I’ve been with them for some 20 years and have seen their children grow up. They see me as a second mother, and I see them as my own.”
Rasiyem earns RM1,500 a month and sends money home every month to support her family. Her employer provides food and necessities, so she is also able to save some of her wages for when she returns to Indonesia.
She said her greatest struggle has been being apart from her children.
“I didn’t see them grow up, my mother raised them. It was hard, but it had to be done to give them a brighter future.
“I also didn’t get to see some of my children get married, and now they have their own children. Video calls have helped ease the pain, but there are days when I wish I could be with them in person.”
Bangladeshi migrant Khairul Mollah, 40, from Dhaka, also came to Malaysia in search of better opportunities.
A former lorry driver, Khairul found it difficult to make ends meet in his hometown. Encouraged by a friend, he moved to Malaysia and has worked at various jobs. For the past eight years, he has been a factory worker in Klang, Selangor.
“The RM1,500 a month I earn here is better than what I was paid in Bangladesh, but I send most of it to my family. I miss them very much, but it will be a while before we meet again. I’m working hard for their future, and hope to return in two years.”
Khairul said although he enjoys working in Malaysia, he sometimes faces discrimination but chooses to stay positive.
“Some people don’t like foreign workers, but I ignore it. As long as I’m doing honest work, it doesn’t bother me. I’ve come too far to let anything deter me.
“Not all my experiences have been bitter though. Many Malaysians are kind and have helped me adjust. I’m grateful to them,” he said, adding that his presence in Malaysia is not meant to harm locals but just to make
a living.
“I know there are a lot of stereotypes about foreign workers, but many of us are honest and hardworking. We come here to contribute to the local economy and provide for our loved ones too.
“Every challenge brings me closer to a better future for my family. One day, I’ll return home with the means to give them a life of hope and security. That goal keeps me going.”
