Sabah has been the recipient of countless migrants for centuries. The most recent of these are largely Indonesians and Filipinos who come for economic reasons. The current economic turmoil has affected the capacity of the state to provide employment to both local and foreign workers. While Sabah is working towards reducing its dependence on foreign workers, it is likely that Sabah will continue to depend on migrant workers in the short and immediate term. The Sabah experience suggests that a more systematic approach is needed to regulate the flow of migrant labor in the region. But for this to succeed, the support and cooperation of all the relevant parties would be essential.

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labor migration financial crisis Malaysia labor market migrant worker Sabah