ABSTRACT
International labour migration to Asian cities is a prevalent and growing phenomenon. It is also, however, one that is spatially uneven, with particular city neighbourhoods hosting concentrations of migrants. In the case of residential areas ‘invaded’ by large numbers of foreign contract workers, it is often suggested that there are heightened tensions and conflicts, which appear to be politicized by local actors for specific reasons. In this study we are interested in the experiences of foreign workers who have ‘invaded’ residential areas in Penang, Malaysia. Specifically, our focus will be on female foreign workers, as studies undertaken by the Asian Development Bank (2006), for instance, have highlighted negative perceptions of this category of workers. This chapter, therefore, will examine spatial concentrations of foreign workers in selected neighbourhoods in Penang with a view to analyzing emerging issues and pondering the impacts and consequences for both local inhabitants and foreign workers alike.
