Sabahans pride themselves for not sharing Malaya’s politics of racial and religious supremacy yet “anti-immigrant” rhetoric is commonplace. And how is it related to the fact that Sabah society consists of “layered, diverse and complex ethnic narratives.” Melisa Idris and Sharaad Kuttan speak to Vilashini Somiah is an anthropologist and a Senior Lecturer at the Gender Studies Programme at Universiti Malaya. She co-authored a chapter in the book titled “Incessant Political Narratives: Perilous Migrants and the Treacherous East” with Aslam Abd Jalil.