He and his brother, Suraj (not their real names) were given just 24 hours to pack their things to leave Malaysia for good, in late October.
“I was told today that I will be flying back tomorrow,” Nabaraj told Malaysiakini with the help of his co-workers acting as translators.
His hardened face and gruff voice belied the fear of returning to his vegetable seller job at a Nepali market earning a meagre 500 Nepalese rupees (RM17.70) per day - less than RM500 a month.
Despite their family being mired in debt, the brothers boldly secured hefty loans from multiple sources to cover recruitment fees and pinned their hopes on the promised three-year contract as cleaners in a Malaysian resort town, aiming for a double monthly income of RM1,500 for the family.
A socioeconomic dream of all migrant workers in Malaysia, but for Nabaraj and Suraj, that dream has...