In Bangladesh, the agent approached me. He said, ‘There is good work in Malaysia. You’ll get 18,000 to 20,000 taka,’” or $260 to $290, per month, he said. “When we arrived at the factory, the basic salary was 546 ringgit [$160], and there was a 34-ringgit [$10] allowance for rice.
I paid 230,000 taka [$3,325] to come to Malaysia. How am I ever going to get back that money?
What can I do with 480 ringgit? If I send money to Bangladesh, what can I do with that [the little amount that remains]?
Narrative credit to Amnesty International
Originally published in ‘Trapped: The Exploitation of Migrant Workers in Malaysia’
