Migrants and niches: economic structure of migration streams in peninsular Malaysia 1965-70.

Type Working Paper
Title Migrants and niches: economic structure of migration streams in peninsular Malaysia 1965-70.
Author(s)
Publication (Day/Month/Year) 1982
URL http://www.popline.org/node/389757
Abstract
Analyzes the nature and structure of internal migration streams in Malaysia between 1965 and 1970. A 2% systematic sample tape of the 1970 Population and Housing census was the source of information on which this study was based. 4 migration streams are defined: urban-rural (U-R), 34.6%, rural-rural (R-R) 32.3%, urban-urban (U-U) 26.8%, and rural-urban (R-U) 6.3%. Analysis shows the U-U stream to be one of more modern, skilled laborers in the secondary and tertiary sectors, while R-R migrants are mainly primary sector workers. Both U-R and R-U streams reflect characteristics intermediate between the U-U and R-R streams. Analysis further shows persistent Malay-Chinese differences both within and among migration streams. Overall, the Malays prove to be less diversified occupationally than the Chinese. Urban Malay workers are recruited predominantly in government and other public sector jobs. The Chinese, on the other hand, dominate commerce, manufacturing and construction. Even within the R-R stream, where Malays predominate, proportionally more Chinese are in commerce and production. The Malays show greatest diversification in the R-U stream. It is suggested that the barriers to the integration of Malays in the business sector have their origins in sociocultural and structural factors, and that the structural determinants of non Malay business organizations need to be clearly understood in the interest of integrating Malay workers into the mainstream of the business sector.

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