Under economic pressure, drained savings and the need to wire money to her child back home, Indonesian migrant worker Tini Taturia made a desperate decision to work in the middle of 2021, despite being aware that Malaysia has imposed a lockdown.

Her critical decision led to her arrest by the Royal Malaysian Police. “I truly apologise if I committed a violation. I have nothing else to eat, which is why I had to go out and look for money. They eventually understood. I was told to go back home, stay there, and not go out of the house,” said Tini as she recalled her arrest to Tempo in early December.

Ever since the pandemic hit every corner of the world, including Malaysia, Tini faced a bleak destiny. As the pandemic devastated the country, the...