Biting the hand that feeds you<\/p>\n
Suhaini Aznam, The Star, Asia News Network, Selangor, Malaysia<\/p>\n
The reaction in Indonesia has been extreme. Three Indonesian
\ndailies carried the story of illegal workers in Malaysia not
\nbeing paid their salaries on their front pages.<\/p>\n
Media Indonesia claimed that 90 illegal workers hired by a
\nhousing developer had not been paid a total of RM152,000 in back
\nwages.<\/p>\n
The Republika cited 1,200 illegal immigrants in Gombak, 700 in
\nBatu Lancang and 90 more working at the housing project. All
\nclaimed to have been cheated.<\/p>\n
The last group, which was given meal allowance but not wages,
\nhas written to Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi and also made
\na police report.<\/p>\n
Indonesia intends to sue Malaysian bosses, who have failed to
\npay their illegal workers.<\/p>\n
Media Indonesia cited Indonesian Manpower Minister Fahmi Idris
\nas also criticizing the enforcement of Malaysian immigration
\nlaws, with little action being taken against employers.<\/p>\n
\"We ask that equal penalty be meted out to illegal immigrants
\nand the Malaysian companies who recruit them,\" he was quoted as
\nsaying, referring to provisions for jail sentences and whipping
\nof illegals.<\/p>\n
But that seems to deflect the point of the just-concluded
\namnesty exercise.<\/p>\n
While it is a violation for employers to hire illegal workers
\nand certainly wrong for some companies to cheat their workers,
\nthe illegal immigrants broke the law by \"smuggling\" themselves
\ninto Malaysia, in the first place.<\/p>\n
Indonesia has engaged Malaysian lawyers to ensure that errant
\nMalaysian employers pay their workers' wages.<\/p>\n
And indeed, the employers should pay, all the more so when an
\namnesty -- the deadline of which has been already postponed
\nthrice -- will not go on.<\/p>\n
We cannot condone the action of employers, who have used the
\namnesty as an excuse to deny their workers their dues.<\/p>\n
The Malaysian Employers Federation itself wants employers to
\nsettle up. Plus, there are official channels to pursue the matter
\n-- the Human Resources Ministry, and also the Home Ministry.<\/p>\n
So litigation at this stage seems an over reaction.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian media seems to be taking a swipe at Malaysia
\nfor a deeper reason -- that Malaysia has sent back 380,000
\nillegal workers, with an estimated 400,000 more still here.<\/p>\n
While it is true that Malaysia relies on migrant labor to work
\nits plantation and construction sectors, should not Indonesia --
\nand for that matter, the Philippines, Bangladesh, India and other
\nlabor exporting countries -- control the outflow of their labor
\nso that they will not burden the host country?<\/p>\n
And in the final analysis, the onus of resolving unemployment
\nactually falls on the Indonesian government itself.<\/p>\n
Malaysia has thrice postponed the repatriation of illegal
\nworkers at the personal request of Indonesian President Susilo
\nBambang Yudhoyono.<\/p>\n
In this instance, would not a polite request by one leader to
\nthe other have sufficed?<\/p>\n
Especially given that the last two postponements have been
\nextended to all illegal immigrants, even though the ones affected
\nby the tsunami are from Aceh alone.<\/p>\n
If Malaysia had really wanted to be mean and nitpick, it could
\nhave gone after all those Indonesians who were not from Aceh.
\nInstead the battle is being fought in the media.<\/p>\n
Malaysia is not the enemy. In fact, it was the first to arrive
\nwith aid for the tsunami victims.<\/p>\n
Given its linguistic similarities, other international aid
\norganizations sought Malaysia's help for translations.<\/p>\n
And today, Malaysia wants to help rebuild Banda Aceh, in
\naccordance with the Indonesian government's architectural
\npreferences.<\/p>\n
So, why the harsh words? Is this the Asian way -- to bite the
\nhand of friendship?<\/p>",
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