Migrants begin trickling home from Malaysia<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Batam\/Samarinda\/Jakarta<\/p>\n
Hundreds of Indonesian workers in Malaysia began returning home
\non Friday, marking the first day of the 17-day amnesty program
\nfor illegal workers offered by the Malaysian government.<\/p>\n
Boarding ferries, the workers, many who said they had become
\nalienated or disillusioned working in Malaysia, headed to ports
\non Batam, and in Nunukan island in East Kalimantan.<\/p>\n
Not all the workers had entered Malaysia illegally. Of the 230
\nmigrant workers that arrived at the Batam Center port, 94 had
\ngone to Malaysia with legal immigration and working documents.<\/p>\n
Data showed 336 Indonesian migrant workers had entered two
\nports in Batam as of Friday evening, while a similar number
\nentered Tunon Taka seaport in Nunukan, deputy regent Kasmir Foret
\nsaid.<\/p>\n
Upon alighting from the ferries, some workers headed to
\nbarracks provided by local government and manpower recruitment
\nagencies (PJTKI), while others headed to cheap hotels before they
\ncontinued their journeys home.<\/p>\n
Under the program, the Malaysian government is encouraging an
\nestimated 1.2 million illegal migrant workers, mostly from
\nIndonesia, to return home until Nov. 14 without punishment ahead
\nof the Idul Fitri celebrations.<\/p>\n
The workers, also from the Philippines and China, are part of
\ntotal estimated 2.4 million migrant workers in Malaysia. All
\ntravel fares are paid by the workers.<\/p>\n
Raids are planned after the amnesty ends and illegal workers
\nwho are caught will be fined and caned by the Malaysian police
\nand then deported.<\/p>\n
A similar amnesty was offered to migrants by the Malaysian
\ngovernment two years ago.<\/p>\n
Some Indonesian workers said they were delighted they could
\njoin the program.<\/p>\n
"I will not return. The working conditions were terrible and
\nI'm afraid of being whipped if I am caught," said Afsoni, a 21-
\nyear-old from the Indonesian island of Sumatra, quoted by
\nReuters.<\/p>\n
Afsoni said he had worked in a restaurant in Kuala Lumpur,
\nwhere he was paid 30 Malaysian ringgit (US$7.9) a day and allowed
\nto sleep for just four hours each night.<\/p>\n
State Minister of State Enterprises Sugiharto said the
\ngovernment would offer positions in 17 state-owned enterprises to
\nthe returning workers.<\/p>",
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