Irregular Migrants and the Sea at the Borders of Sabah, Malaysia

Vilashini Somiah is Senior Lecturer in Gender Studies at the University of Malaya, Malaysia. A Sabahan anthropologist who received her PhD from the National University of Singapore, she has researched youth, migration, and marginalized Borneans living in the interiors, focusing particularly on underrepresented narratives.

• 1. Introduction: An Ecology of Irregularity.- 2. Kami Urang ‘Sini’ (We are from ‘Here’): Agency across Equivocal Space.- 3. Bilang yang Nakal-nakal Kami (We Speak of Naughty Things): Female.- 4. Maritime Journeys and Illicit Returns.- 5. Haunted Shores: Youths in Pursuit of Belonging on the Shores of the Sulu Sea.- 6. Conclusion.

“Vilashini Somiah has written an empathically driven, ethnographically rich and theoretically provocative book that will become a landmark reference not only in the anthropological study of Sabah, but also in Southeast Asia studies’ border-crossing literature. Written in clear and accessible prose, the book will make a welcome addition to course syllabi at the undergraduate and graduate levels and is poised to inspire new avenues of research ... .” (Andrew M. Carruthers, SOJOURN - Journal of Social Issues in Southeast Asia, Vol. 39 (1), March, 2024)“Irregular Migrants and the Sea at the Borders of Sabah, Malaysia: Pelagic Alliance is a compelling volume from start to finish. … By bringing to the fore the powerful and evocative images of her informants, Somiah offers valuable insights into the cry of migrants to belong amid the heavy culture of surveillance … . Her focus on weaving the unique experiences of her informants into the narrative deserves much credit. … this book is a delight for the anthropologist reader.” (Trixie M Tangit, Southeast Asian Studies, Vol. 11 (3), December, 2022)