On a Sunday in late February, four head-scarved young women ate ravenously at the Rasa Utara Restaurant in the Berjaya Times Square Mall in Kuala Lumpur. They devoured sweet and sour tofu, bean sprouts, sausages and chicken nuggets. "I haven't eaten since morning," said Sundarinot her real name. "The company does not give us breakfast on Sundays."

Sundari said the four women would sometimes only eat rice with tempe or vegetables, or just rice with fr