Illegal workers tell Susilo of their plight<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta, Nunukan<\/p>\n
Indonesian illegal migrant workers, stranded in Nunukan, East
\nKalimantan after being expelled from Malaysia, have told visiting
\nPresident Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Tuesday that they wanted to
\nreturn to Malaysia as soon as possible.<\/p>\n
They complained about expensive fees being charged by
\nIndonesian authorities to obtain the necessary documents, such as
\npassports and work visas, and the excessive amount of time it
\ntook for them to be processed.<\/p>\n
Workers have claimed that they have been required to pay at
\nleast 700 Malaysian ringgit and have had to wait three weeks to
\nget the documents.<\/p>\n
Jamal, an illegal migrant from South Sulawesi, said he had to
\npay 700 ringgit because he wanted to return to Malaysia as soon
\nas possible, as he found it difficult to get job at home.<\/p>\n
Responding to their grievances, President Susilo pledged to
\nreview the existing labor export mechanisms in order to
\nfacilitate the workers' immediate return to Malaysia. He did not
\nelaborate.<\/p>\n
During the visit, Susilo, accompanied by Minister of Manpower
\nand Transmigration Fahmi Idris, held a dialog session with some
\n600 workers being housed in 80 barracks at Mambunut, around 25
\nkilometers from Nunukan.<\/p>\n
At the talks, the President asked the workers if they wanted
\nto go back to Malaysia and how long they had already worked in
\nthat country.<\/p>\n
A woman worker appealed to the President to speed up the
\ndocumentation process so that she and other workers would not be
\nforced to stay too long in the camps.<\/p>\n
In order for workers to work in Malaysia safely, the President
\nurged illegal workers who were still in Malaysia to return home
\nimmediately to obtain proper documentation.<\/p>\n
\"If workers have the necessary documents in their hands, they
\nwill be able to work in peace and will be well protected,\" he
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
The head of the manpower and transmigration office in Nunukan,
\nPetrus Kanisius, said that besides the 600 workers, more than 930
\nothers were waiting to depart for Sabah and Sarawak after
\nobtaining all the documents to legally work in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"The workers are waiting for job orders from their prospective
\nemployers there,\" he added.<\/p>\n
An estimated 450,000 Indonesian illegal immigrants have defied
\nthe Malaysian government's amnesty deadline to return home
\nvoluntarily to arrange their working documents.<\/p>\n
Many have said they were unable to leave Malaysia due to a
\nlack of funds as their employers were withholding their wages.<\/p>\n
Following the end of the amnesty period on Feb. 28, Malaysia
\nand Indonesia established joint offices at 11 seaports across the
\ncountry to provide \"one-stop services\" for illegal workers to get
\ntheir necessary documents, including passports and working visas.<\/p>\n
However, the joint program has been strongly criticized by
\nlabor activists and exporters for imposing high fees for the
\ndocumentation.<\/p>\n
Based on a decree issued the Ministry of Manpower and
\nTransmigration, workers are required to pay Rp 2.9 million
\n(US$312) each for all documents, including passports and working
\nvisas.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/illegal-workers-tell-susilo-of-their-plight-1447893297",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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