From the pasar to the mamak stall: refugees and migrants as surplus ghost labor in Malaysia’s food service industry

Abstract

ABSTRACTThis paper examines how different groups of migrant workers and communities become absorbed into the informal and formal economies of the developing South. Due to the unique historical context of labour migration in Malaysia, this study suggests that questions about migrant and refugee integration need to be recast in an inter-connected manner. Here, the experiences of refugees, documented and undocumented migrant workers are examined through the lens of job sector integration, rather than through specific group-focused analyses. How do such diverse migrant communities become coerced into participating as part of an invisible labour force, and what are the implications on the everyday lives of these refugees, undocumented migrants, foreign workers and other subaltern groups? Drawing upon a broader on-going ethnographic study of temporary migrant life in Malaysia, I focus on the food service sector in Kuala Lumpur and Georgetown (Penang), to highlight the importance of subaltern migrants in the everyday production of food and the challenges they face in trying to establish a foothold in their new society. The study encompasses the everyday lives of Rohingya refugees in informal markets and settlements in Kuala Lumpur, as well as Bangladeshi, Indian and Thai staff at restaurants and cafes.