He said ‘no’ and gestured to my husband and me to make a U-turn and walk back the way we came. 

‘No,’ ‘no’ was all he said. That is until I spoke to him in Bahasa. Apparently, we were walking towards the workers’ quarters, and not back to the resort. 

Yes, a resort that we’ve visited many times, and walked almost everywhere walkable. We got a tad lost. To be fair, I did think the path we were on was different and a little too pebbly, even eliciting a comment about being careful not to sprain an ankle. 

Anyways, the detour meant we got to meet Subur Khan, a gentleman from Bangladesh. Initially reticent, he warmed up to us quite quickly. He told us or rather me, as the conversation was in Bahasa, I translated for my husband, that he has been working at the Mangala Resort and Estate (MRS) for 18 years.

It was heartening to learn that his earnings had enabled him to build a house and buy some land on which his family now live. He said he was fairly remunerated and well-cared for, and complimented his employer. Nice.

Subur has two boys, one 10, and the other 5. He has been home, four times since he has been in Malaysia. I know… he has been working here while his children have been growing up in Bangladesh. Hmm.

I know people who come to work in Malaysia to support their families back in their home countries. The guards and cleaning staff at our condo, for example. We have six guards from Nepal and four cleaning staff from Indonesia. Most often, they come, work for a number of years, save whatever they can, and return with hopefully, a nest egg, that will enable them to have a decent life at home.

There are many more in the construction, plantation, manufacturing, security, and retail sectors.  As at August, 2025, there were over 2.14 million foreign workers in Malaysia … from 15 countries. Bangladesh was tops with 803,322, Indonesia – 543,514, Nepal – 332,712 and Myanmar – 173,630. We also have people from India, Pakistan, the Philippines, and Sri Lanka^[1]. Kalyani, my mum’s carer, is from Sri Lanka.

Life is not easy for any of them. If anything, it’s difficult. Working and living in a foreign country has its share of issues. For some, not-so-great wages, not-so-nice living conditions, various levels of unfair treatment, crackdowns by authorities, and local biases towards certain foreign workers.

I cannot be sure but given the choice, most people, would rather live and work in their own countries. As it would allow them to be nearer their families and friends, share similar socio-cultural practices and speak a familiar language.

Of course, there are those who want to work overseas for the experience and adventure. There are also those who leverage their specific skills and knowledge, not readily available in some countries, to seek opportunities abroad. While some others might be on assignments or working in representative offices outside their home country.

As an aside, there was a podcast on a local radio station on whether there was a difference between the terms – a foreign worker and an expatriate. No difference. Because anyone who is not local and is working locally, is a foreign worker.

According to Google, a foreigner, who is directly hired by a local company, regardless of which country he/she comes from, is referred to as a ‘foreign direct hire’ or foreign worker, not an expatriate.The remuneration package might be higher or similar to a local and/or may come with benefits like accommodation, car, children’s education, maid, depending on the expertise they offer.

Meanwhile, an expatriate employee is a professional who works temporarily in a foreign country on behalf of their employer[2]. I didn’t know this term. An inpatriate is an employee from an organization’s foreign subsidiary who is transferred to the company headquarters in a different country[3].

It’s also not a one-way people traffic. There are many Malaysians who live and work overseas, like my four sisters, who are in the UK and Australia. There are some 1.86 million Malaysians who live in other foreign shores like the US, Canada, and Singapore.

Anyways, real or perceived, there’s a lower level of acceptance and tolerance towards someone who is called a foreign worker rather than one who is referred to as an expatriate.

It would be nice to do away with labels. When possible, acknowledge people, speak, ask questions, and listen as it helps to better understand their experiences, challenges, and motivation. I find connecting with and putting names to faces, makes people real. They are not just workers, numbers or statistics.

Like you and me, they feel, love and care. They would also like a roof over their head, food on the table and a decent standard of living. Hmm…