Malaysia deports illegal RI workers<\/p>\n
PASIR GUDANG, Malaysia (Reuter): About 1,000 illegal
\nIndonesian workers boarded an Indonesian naval ship under heavy
\narmed escort yesterday in Malaysia's first deportation of illegal
\nworkers after an amnesty expired earlier this week.<\/p>\n
The last batch of about 300 deportees, including about 50
\nwomen, arrived at a port here in southern Johor state yesterday
\nafternoon in police trucks and buses, escorted by four police
\ncars.<\/p>\n
Indonesian marines were seen keeping vigil on the ship,
\nTanjung Osina, which left the port at 4:10 p.m. yesterday.<\/p>\n
Lengthy processing of papers delayed the departure for more
\nthan an hour, officials said.<\/p>\n
The Indonesians were among an estimated 700,000 illegal
\nworkers who failed to meet a December 31, 1996 deadline to
\nregister for work papers. About 300,000 workers registered under
\nthe amnesty.<\/p>\n
A dozen police field officers armed with rifles stood guard
\nnear the gray ship as the Indonesians, carrying their belongings,
\nboarded. Men and women were separated.<\/p>\n
Witnesses described the forced exodus as orderly although
\nseveral women already on board were seen weeping and calling out
\nto friends on the dock.<\/p>\n
A majority of the Indonesians were headed for Surabaya on Java
\nisland.<\/p>\n
A distraught Indonesian man told reporters his wife, who was
\nwearing a purple dress and crying, was being sent back even
\nthough she had employment papers.<\/p>\n
The man declined to give his name, but said he was a legal
\nworker in Malaysia. "I have documents for her release. I will
\nfight for her," he said.<\/p>\n
Others said they were glad to be leaving. "I am happy to
\nreturn home in this big ship, which has come to fetch me," said
\nMohamed Noor, a construction worker who arrived in Malaysia last
\nNovember.<\/p>\n
Sutanto, an official at Indonesia's Ministry of Manpower, said
\nthis would be the first and only occasion when an Indonesian
\nnaval ship was used for such a mission. "The next time, Malaysia
\nwill have to use normal channels," he told Reuters at the port.<\/p>\n
The remaining Indonesian deportees are expected to be sent off
\non civilian vessels. Repatriation of illegal immigrants is
\nnormally done by ferries and chartered boats.<\/p>\n
The Indonesian official also said those being sent back were
\n"good workers", and that some had not applied for amnesty because
\nthey "were confused by immigration rules", or had been misled by
\nlabor agents.<\/p>\n
Few children were spotted among the deportees.<\/p>\n
Convoys of police trucks and buses have been transporting
\nillegal workers to the port since Thursday from eight camps and
\ntwo prisons around Malaysia, local newspapers said.<\/p>\n
Photo -- Page 11<\/p>", "url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/malaysia-deports-illegal-ri-workers-1447893297", "image": "" }, "sponsor": "Okusi Associates", "sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com" }