Wagirah and other subjects in this story, are very much vulnerable to be trafficked both on the way to Malaysia or in Malaysia as well. Their illegal / undocumented status risky to various kinds of threats such as: victimization, fraud, trafficking, arresting, exploitation and sexual harassment, subjected to discriminatory legal standards, and living in great fear of being detained or deported. Some of the workers I met came to Malaysia legally, furthermore, running away from employer's place because of bad treatment or sexual harassment by the employer is another concerning situation experienced by Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. Thus their status became illegal.
In this project, I interviewed several undocumented female migrant workers from Indonesia who were willing to share their experience with me. Based on their stories, I traced back places where they were being arrested, being abused, being trafficked, or being harassed. This ongoing project is not only to examine the long-run relationship among income, remittances, unemployment, or migrant workers issues between Indonesia and Malaysia, but also questioning the protection and promotion of fundamental rights: a right to life and security; to sustainable livehood; to be heard; to have an identity; and to have access to basic social services; without any exception.
*) Some names and identifying details have been changed for security reasons and to protect the privacy of individuals.