Migration works

In the weeks leading up to the 14th General Elections, a voice recording went viral on social media.

“To all migrant workers, stay home on the 9th of May. If we see you in the streets, we won’t ask questions, we will bash you up,” it said.

Your browser does not support the audio element.

Such is life for migrant workers in Malaysia. Hard work, low pay, and discrimination that borders on hate.

There is little else for them to do but to submit. “I felt really afraid when I heard that voice message,” said Navid (not his real name), a migrant store clerk who works in the heart of Kuala Lumpur. “That day me and the rest just stayed in our home and slept the whole day.”