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.

“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)

• 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.