The politics of immigration policy in Malaysia: What is behind the foreign worker’s administration?

Mohd Na'eim Ajis, Mohd Ramlan Mohd Arshad, Aizat Khairi

Article ID: 5345
Vol 8, Issue 7, 2024

VIEWS - 1146 (Abstract)

Abstract


The formation and implementation of migration policy cannot avoid being influenced by political elements, particularly political actors who have a direct or indirect interest in migration issues. Previous studies show that the influence on the administration and migration policy of a country has created the concept of ‘client politics’, that is, employers have a certain influence on the administration of foreign workers, especially in western countries. This situation has also created two groups which are pro-migrants consisting of employers, fundamental rights groups and trade unions; and anti-migrants are often associated with bureaucrats, nationalists and others. This study has used qualitative methods and has interviewed the informants consisting of government agencies, academics, employers, trade unions and NGOs. The results of the study show that those actors have a certain influence on the management of foreign workers including in the aspects of policy making and implementation. The concept of ‘client politics’ is seen to only apply to certain sectors, especially the manufacturing sector. Therefore, practically in Malaysia it is considered as ‘sectoral client politics’. In conclusion, the influence of both groups is not pursuing the interests of the country but rather on the interests of their respective sectors and entities.


Keywords


policy; state actor; client politics; migrant worker; Malaysia

Full Text:

PDF


References

  1. Azizah, K. (2012). Foreign Worker Policy in Malaysia (Indonesian). Penerbit Universiti Kebangsaan Malaysia.
  2. Birkland, T. A. (2005). An Introduction to the policy process: Theories, concepts and models of public policy making, 2nd ed. M.E Sharpe.
  3. Braun, V., Clarke, V., Hayfield, N., Terry, G. (2019). Thematic Analysis. In: Liamputtong, P. (editor). Handbook of Research Methods in Health Social Sciences. Springer, Singapore. https://doi.org/10.1007/978-981-10-5251-4_103
  4. Castles, S. (2004). Why migration policies fail. Ethnic and Racial Studies, 27(2), 205–227. https://doi.org/10.1080/0141987042000177306
  5. Cornelius, W. A., Tsuda T. (2004). Controlling immigration: The limits of government intervention. In: Controlling immigration: A global perspective, 2nd ed. California: Stanford University Press. pp. 3-48.
  6. Cornelius, W. A., & Rosenblum, M. R. (2005). Immigration and politics. Annual Review of Political Science, 8(1), 99–119. https://doi.org/10.1146/annurev.polisci.8.082103.104854
  7. Cornelius, W. A. (2005). Controlling ‘Unwanted’ Immigration: Lessons from the United States, 1993–2004. Journal of Ethnic and Migration Studies, 31(4), 775–794. https://doi.org/10.1080/13691830500110017
  8. Dong-Hoon, S., John, D. S., Catherine, L. (2002). International Norms and Domestic Politics: A Comparison of Migrant Worker and Women Rights in South Korea. Korean Studies, 64-139.
  9. Dye, T. R. (1995). Understanding Public Policy, 8th ed. New Jersey: Prentice Hall.
  10. Freeman, G. P. (1995). Modes of Immigration Politics in Liberal Democratic States. International Migration Review, 29(4), 881. https://doi.org/10.2307/2547729
  11. Geddes, A. (2003). The Politics of Migration and Immigration in Europe. SAGE Publications Ltd. https://doi.org/10.4135/9781446280492
  12. Hammar, T. (1985). Introduction. In: European Immigration Policy. Cambridge University Press. pp. 1–14. https://doi.org/10.1017/cbo9780511898143.002
  13. Haus, L. (1995). Openings in the wall: transnational migrants, labor unions, and U.S. immigration policy. International Organization, 49(2), 285–313. https://doi.org/10.1017/s002081830002840x
  14. Hollifield, J. F. (2000). The politics of international migration: How can we bring the state back in? In: Brettell, C. B, Hollifield, J. F (editors). Migration theory: talking across disciplines. New York and London: Routledge. pp. 137-185.
  15. Howlett, M., & Ramesh, M. (1995). Studying Public Policy: Policy Cycles and Policy Sub Systems. Oxford University Press.
  16. Huntington, S. P. (1965). Political Development and Political Decay. World Politics, 17(3), 386–430. https://doi.org/10.2307/2009286
  17. Jacobson, R. D. (2011). The Politics of Belonging. American Politics Research, 39(6), 993–1018. https://doi.org/10.1177/1532673x11411648
  18. Joppke, C. (1998). Why Liberal States Accept Unwanted Immigration. World Politics, 50(2), 266–293. https://doi.org/10.1017/s004388710000811x
  19. Kaur, A., & Metcalfe, I. (2006). Mobility, Labour Migration and Border Controls in Asia. Palgrave Macmillan UK. https://doi.org/10.1057/9780230503465
  20. Lavenex, S., Lutz, P., & Hoffmeyer-Zlotnik, P. (2023). Migration governance through trade agreements: insights from the MITA dataset. The Review of International Organizations, 19(1), 147–173. https://doi.org/10.1007/s11558-023-09493-5
  21. Leitner, H. (1995). International Migration and the Politics of Admission and Exclusion in Postwar Europe. Political Geography, 14(3), 259-278. https://doi.org/10.1016/0962-6298(95)93187-N
  22. Mayda, A. M., Peri, G., & Steingress, W. (2018). The Political Impact of Immigration: Evidence from the United States. National Bureau of Economic Research. https://doi.org/10.3386/w24510
  23. McGahan, K. (2008). Managing migration: The politics of immigration enforcement and border control in Malaysia [PhD thesis]. University of Wisconsin-Madison.
  24. Meyers, E. (2000). Theories of International Immigration Policy—A Comparative Analysis. International Migration Review, 34(4), 1245–1282. https://doi.org/10.1177/019791830003400407
  25. Money, J. (2010). Comparative Immigration Policy. In: Denemark, R. A. (editor). The International Studies Encyclopedia. West Sussex: Blackwell. pp. 1–32.
  26. Rudolph, C. (2003). Security and the Political Economy of International Migration. American Political Science Review, 97(4), 603–620. https://doi.org/10.1017/s000305540300090x
  27. Tseng, Y. F. (2004). Politics of Importing Foreigners: Foreign Labour Policy in Taiwan. In: Entzinger, H., Martiniello, M., Wihtol de Wenden, C (editors). Migration Between States and Markets. Ashgate: Burlington. pp. 98–124.
  28. Whitaker, R. (1987). Double Standard: The Secret History of Canadian Immigration. Toronto: Lester and Orpen Dennys.


DOI: https://doi.org/10.24294/jipd.v8i7.5345

Refbacks

  • There are currently no refbacks.


Copyright (c) 2024 Mohd Na’eim Ajis, Mohd Ramlan Mohd Arshad, Aizat Khairi

License URL: https://creativecommons.org/licenses/by/4.0/

This site is licensed under a Creative Commons Attribution 4.0 International License.