For a large part of human history people were free to move between regions for economic, political or socio-cultural reasons but such freedom is curtailed in modern times with the demarcation of political boundaries and the creation of nation states which institute immigration laws to regulate cross-border migration. However, these laws are often inadequate or not enforceable and international migration continues. In the last three decades or so, labour migration the world over has accelerated. In the Asia-Pacific region, the acceleration is accompanied by a shift in the direction of major labour flows. By the 1970s, the United States and Europe were no longer the main focus of migration from Asia; instead a large wave of migrants moved to the Middle East and then to newly industrialised countries in East Asia.
Most, if not all, countries are party to international labour migration either as labour exporters, importers or both as in the case of Malaysia. While over a million aliens work in the country, an estimate of over 200,000 Malaysians are found working in Japan, Taiwan, Hong Kong and Singapore. This paper provides an overview of labour mobility in Malaysia, its consequences and the role of the government. The focus is on labour in-flow, a major concern in Malaysia today. The state of research to date will also be examined briefly to identify key research issues that can be undertaken in the near future.