Hundreds of Saudi-bound<\/p>\n
workers stranded here<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): More than 1,600 Indonesians planning to work in
\nSaudi Arabia have been stranded at the Soekarno-Hatta airport for
\nthe past week as they were told by the immigration that they
\nrequired a special pass from the Ministry of Religious Affairs.<\/p>\n
Yesterday, The Association of Manpower Supplier Companies
\n(IMSA), whose members are involved in the sending of these
\nworkers, criticized the government for imposing extra costs and
\nadditional red tape unnecessarily.<\/p>\n
Beginning this week, immigration officers were under strict
\norders to prevent Indonesians from leaving for Saudi Arabia
\nunless they had a written permission from the Ministry of
\nReligious Affairs.<\/p>\n
The restriction has been imposed during the current haj
\npilgrimage season amidst concerns by the government that
\nIndonesia might surpass the 160,000 quota of pilgrims allocated
\nby the Saudi authorities to Indonesia.<\/p>\n
The move meant that, in most cases, whole plane loads of
\nIndonesians intending to work in Saudi Arabia were told they
\ncould not leave.<\/p>\n
IMSA, whose members are already under pressure to lessen the
\nextra charges imposed on would-be workers, said more paperwork
\nmeans additional costs.<\/p>\n
IMSA Executive Director Muchlis Danuwikarta told reporters
\nyesterday that there were about 2,400 workers leaving for Saudi
\nArabia this week.<\/p>\n
Those booked on Saudia Airlines were eventually allowed to
\nleave after an intervention by Saudi Ambassador Abdullah Abdul
\nRachman Alim, according to Muchlis.<\/p>\n
Muchlis was accompanied to the press briefing by IMSA
\nSecretary General Saleh.<\/p>\n
He blamed Minister of Religious Affairs Tarmizi Taher for
\ncausing the problems because it was he who gave the order to the
\nimmigration in the first place. \"The government should annul this
\nrequirement and let the workers leave,\" he said.<\/p>\n
Muchlis dismissed the government's concern that some of these
\nworkers might decide to perform the haj pilgrimage and take up
\nthe quota allocated to pilgrims traveling under the government-
\nsponsored program.<\/p>\n
They are traveling on different set of documents and therefore
\ncould be easily distinguished, he said.<\/p>\n
Saleh said that IMSA has filed a complaint to the Ministry of
\nManpower over the regulation, but has received no response.<\/p>\n
Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief said on Thursday that he had
\ntalked with Tarmizi on the workers' and decided that it was not a
\nproblem. It was decided that the workers could leave as soon as
\nthey obtained the additional pass.<\/p>\n
Government officials said the regulation has been in existence
\nsince 1980 but never enforced until now because there was never
\nany problem with pilgrims' quota in previous years.<\/p>\n
This year a record number of 157,000 people are registered to
\ntravel under the government's sponsored pilgrimage tour to Saudi
\nArabia.<\/p>\n
Saleh said it would take at least three weeks for the workers
\nto obtain the recommendation from the Ministry of Religious
\nAffairs. (rms)<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/hundreds-of-saudi-bound-1447899208",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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