Looking at home from afar: Right to vote for Nepali migrants working in Malaysia

By coincidence, the general elections in both Nepal and Malaysia, one of the biggest hosts for Nepali migrant workers, are scheduled to run one day apart from each other this weekend. Not surprisingly, in both cases, local citizens and foreign observers are paying close attention not only to the competing candidates and party manifestoes but also to the likely political shifts that will happen after the elections.

How do Nepali migrant workers based in Malaysia, as well as their families back home, view this important event? Drawing from conversations with six Nepali migrant workers as well as some stay-behind families (parents, wives, and teenage children), this article presents a slice of some of their observations and concerns.