Govt warns labor exporters<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The government warned manpower suppliers
\nyesterday that they would lose their permits if they misused
\ntheir documents to organize haj pilgrimages to Mecca.<\/p>\n
Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher and Minister of
\nManpower Abdul Latief told journalists yesterday they would not
\nhesitate to revoke the permits of recalcitrant companies.<\/p>\n
\"We're not playing games here,\" Latief said. \"We're taking
\nsteps to deal with companies which are trying to dupe people into
\ngoing on a pilgrimage on a workers' passport.\"<\/p>\n
\"We are taking action to protect our workers, as well as our
\nhaj pilgrims,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi said that \"people who try to go to Mecca as workers
\nbut are actually making the haj pilgrimage are immoral, because
\nthey are depriving Moslems who want to go on the pilgrimage
\nthrough official procedures of the opportunity.\"<\/p>\n
The two ministers discussed, yesterday, steps to be taken to
\ndeal with the possible abuse of work permits by people who wish
\nto go on the pilgrimage illegally.<\/p>\n
That such violations could occur appears plausible,
\nconsidering that Indonesia sends 80,000 workers to Saudi Arabia
\nannually, or about 7,000 people per month.<\/p>\n
Indonesia can only send 195,000 Moslems on the pilgrimage this
\nyear. About 36,000 prospective pilgrims are already on the
\nwaiting list, pending a decision by the Saudi government on
\nwhether to raise the quota for Indonesian pilgrims.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi has, on a number of occasions, expressed concern that
\npilgrims on the waiting list might be tempted to seek unofficial
\nways to make the trip to Mecca.<\/p>\n
The chances of those on the waiting list, or even that of
\nthose who fall within the quota, could be reduced if the flow of
\npeople going to Mecca as workers goes unchecked, Tarmizi said.<\/p>\n
In addition, many Indonesian Moslems who went to Mecca earlier
\nthis year on the minor pilgrimage (umrah) have intentionally
\noverstayed in order to join the haj pilgrimage, he said.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi said the actions of these people might cause official
\npilgrims who arrive late to be turned back.<\/p>\n
The Saudi government had said that it would stop the inflow of
\nIndonesians once the quota of 195,000 had been reached, Tarmizi
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Both ministers said they had caught people going on the
\npilgrimage masquerading as workers.<\/p>\n
\"Imagine, we found married couples aged over fifty who claimed
\nthey were going to Mecca to work,\" Latief said. \"What kind of
\nwork would these old people be doing?\"<\/p>\n
If caught, infringing labor suppliers would be charged with
\nfalsifying state documents, Latief said.<\/p>\n
There are currently 150 licensed labor supply companies in
\nIndonesia. The two ministers, however, are more worried about
\nillegal labor suppliers and promised yesterday that they would
\nintensify checks.<\/p>\n
According to Latief, the two ministries have agreed with other
\noffices, including immigration, to establish surveillance teams
\nto scrutinize people going to Saudi Arabia.<\/p>\n
\"We will check passenger lists and coordinate with the airline
\ncompanies and, along with the immigration office, monitor
\neverything in the field,\" Latief said.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi said the government had been doing its utmost to
\nensure that more people could go on the pilgrimage safely. His
\nown office had been working closely with the Ministry of Foreign
\nAffairs in an attempt to persuade Saudi Arabia to raise the quota
\nfor Indonesia, he said.<\/p>\n
Tarmizi has also cooperated with Minister of Finance Mar'ie
\nMuhammad in the matter of a state-owned bank which allegedly
\naltered haj payment data in order to get its customers out of the
\npilgrimage waiting list and onto the list of those definitely
\nbound for Mecca for the Moslem ritual. (swe)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/govt-warns-labor-exporters-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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