"Doing this," said Komander, indicating to his table of six sipping teh tarik at an open warung in Kuala Lumpur's Chow Kit, "is a privilege where we come from."

Together with his friends, Ayah and Cikgu, they are part of the growing community of Indonesian migrants who have eked a living in Malaysia for more than half their lives. But to place more accurately the context of Komander's conversation with his friends, all are migrants from the conflict-ridden province of Aceh.

The civil conflict, the Acehnese claim, has been going on - and off - since the days of the Dutch, and that eventual Javanese control over the federated nation changed little for the war-hardened province.

Komander said he left in 1980 to escape the violence plaguing the civilian community.

"We are grateful that Malaysia was able to give us protection at a time where we had not much choice left," he said.