Indonesian Migrants in Johor: An Itinerant Labour Force

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Abstract
The links between Indonesia and Johor, Malaysia, across the narrow straits have been strong for centuries. 1 1 The movement of people between the Malay Peninsula and the Indonesian islands further south dates back at least to the Srivijaya kingdom of the seventh to thirteenth centuries. Indonesian labour migration to the Malay Peninsula has been occurring since 1961, and possibly earlier (Bahrin 1965; 1967; Khazim 1984). View all notes Many Johoreans trace their origins to various islands in the Indonesian archipelago. In recent years the presence of large numbers of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia has become the focus of media and political debate; it is seen not only as undermining working conditions but as aggravating fragile ethnic relations within Malaysia. The aim of this article is to examine the presence and employment of Indonesians in the southern area of Johor, 2 2 Much of the material presented here is drawn from fieldwork conducted by the author in the sub-district (Mukim) of Plentong in the District of Johor Bahru, on the southern tip of Johor, in 1987, and on a subsequent visit to the area in early 1989. View all notes and the responses of government and the public to this phenomenon.

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