The silent crisis facing Malaysian women stranded in Indonesia

2026-02-20 - 02:25

The 18-year ordeal of Norida Akmal Ayob, 45, has cast a spotlight on a silent crisis: an unknown number of Malaysian women remain stranded in “dire straits” across Indonesia, unable to afford the journey home. According to Kosmo, many of these women share a similar ­trajectory – falling into financial ruin after marrying local men in Lombok and finding themselves trapped by the high costs of returning home. “Money remains the main ­factor, as earning is difficult. My children and I were at the...