Another Nunukan?<\/p>\n
News of the planned deportation of Indonesian workers from
\nMalaysia brings to mind those pitiful images again -- men and
\nwomen fleeing the neighboring country to escape arrest, detention
\nand caning.<\/p>\n
The collective recollection of the incident in 2002 is that of
\nsome 200,000 of our migrant workers stranded in the border area
\nof Nunukan, with a few resorting to \"selling\" their children to
\npeople who could afford to take care of them; of those who,
\nexhausted of their resources, died of starvation and illness; and
\nof slow measures on the part of the seemingly aloof Indonesian
\ngovernment -- in contrast to those of the Philippines -- in
\nattempting to lobby Malaysia and protect its citizens.<\/p>\n
Deportation need not produce such images -- at least in
\ntheory. Like the recently announced plan to deport 1.2 million
\n\"illegals\", mostly Indonesian, the action under Malaysia's
\nimmigration policy targets undocumented, illegal workers, so that
\nthe receiving and sending countries of authorized migrants may
\nbenefit the most from the millions of workers who choose to
\nbetter their lives through working abroad.<\/p>\n
A receiving country can only protect foreign workers if their
\nwhereabouts are known, and therefore documented. So far, many
\ncases of abuse become known about only when men or women turned
\nup at the doors of the embassy or police, stripped of their
\npassport and other documents and, in effect, their life's dreams.<\/p>\n
Malaysia recognizes that millions of Indonesians contribute
\ncrucially to its labor force, such as in looking after their
\nchildren or working the plantations and skyscraper construction
\nprojects where native labor is in short supply. But when things
\nget ugly, as with Indonesians who may be illegal workers becoming
\ninvolved in criminal activities in their host country, its
\ngovernment is pressured to take tough action against foreigners
\nwho have abused or overstayed their welcome.<\/p>\n
The long history of Indonesians migrating to work in Malaysia
\nis partly a product of the porous borders of neighboring, but
\nsovereign, states. But this, it appears, has not led to
\nsufficient appreciation by both governments that both countries
\nare in thrall to the recruitment and sending of illegal migrants,
\nwhich has clearly continued unabated.<\/p>\n
Hence the more or less stable estimates over the years of
\nillegal workers: Malaysia announced it was going to deport 1.2
\nmillion, many of whom might have simply returned through their
\nold connections, after deportation a few years ago.<\/p>\n
Official figures from the Indonesian Ministry of Manpower put
\nproperly authorized workers in Malaysia at 580,000 while the
\nministry knows of only 500,000 illegals from Indonesia.<\/p>\n
At present, the stance expressed by the Indonesian government
\nahead of the planned deportation is that it hopes both
\ngovernments stick to an agreement on the issue. A memorandum of
\nunderstanding states that, as of Aug. 10 this year, Malaysian
\nemployers may hire Indonesian workers only from authorized
\nIndonesian labor recruitment companies that have trained the
\ncandidates.<\/p>\n
A further understanding in the agreement, signed three years
\nago, is that in the event of deportation, both countries share
\ncosts and deportation will be gradual. Under such a coordinated
\ndeportation policy Malaysia would transport illegal workers to
\nIndonesian ports in North Sumatra, Jakarta and East Java, while
\nIndonesia would be responsible for returning them to their
\nhometowns.<\/p>\n
At this point we can only hope that compassion underlines
\nMalaysia's deportation policy and ensures that whatever rights
\nthe workers have are protected.<\/p>\n
The workers should, in theory, shoulder the blame for ignoring
\ninformation on how to apply for work in Malaysia, although they
\nare gullible to know-it-all middlemen who tell them that the
\nproper procedures are complex and costly. But they are also
\nlikely to be ignorant that governments have failed to deter this
\nage-old problem on both sides of the border, particularly given
\nthe remittances to Indonesia, which totaled almost US$35 million
\nlast year.<\/p>\n
Indonesian Minister of Manpower Jacob Nuwa Wea also said
\ndeportation measures would only be effective if Malaysian
\nemployers, despite trying to minimize their labor costs,
\nrefrained from hiring cheaper, illegal workers.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian government has left people in a difficult
\nposition as many of the poor simply cannot afford the compulsory
\neducation required of migrant workers, even if it is only at
\nelementary school level for certain types of work. Hence, an
\nendless circle of people seeking a short cut to a better life,
\nbeing preyed on by human trafficking networks, which invariably
\ninvolve the collusion of officials.<\/p>\n
Compassion and responsibility, on the part of both the host
\nand receiving countries in the event of the upcoming deportation
\nof these workers, would at least send a message of firmness,
\nrather than aloofness and cruelty, to millions who must find a
\nway to feed their families. That is the least our citizens could
\nhope for.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, the Indonesian government must think urgently about
\nhow it will deal with an additional 500,000 unemployed people.<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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