The promise of high wages draws Indonesian migrant workers to Singapore. However, exploitative practices by agents such as deducting monthly salaries and charging illegal fees make life difficult for the migrant workers and their families back home.

Author Archives: Okky Madasari
Okky Madasari is a novelist and columnist for several media outlets in Indonesia. She has published 11 books and is now doing her PhD at the National University of Singapore, with a thesis on censorship and silencing in Indonesia.
The Long Road Home
A domestic worker in Singapore returns to Indonesia during the pandemic. She encounters differential treatment and a costly road home.
The Survival of Malay Fiction in Singapore
Despite it being the country’s national language, a dwindling number of writers in Singapore are writing in Malay. To reinvigorate the Malay fiction scene, it might be time to look outwards towards neighbouring markets.