Navy gears up for massive evacuation<\/p>\n
JAKARTA (JP): The Navy is preparing warships to bring home
\nIndonesian workers from Malaysia and help transport travelers in
\nIndonesia as the busy Idul Fitri holidays approach.<\/p>\n
Navy Chief Adm. Arief Kushariadi said the navy if needed will
\ncommit their warships to take part in repatriation of Indonesian
\nworkers from Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"We are always ready to bring the migrant workers back. The
\nships needed to transport them here are always available. We are
\nstill waiting for the result of the negotiation between the
\nIndonesian and Malaysian governments,\" he said without specifying
\nwhich ships would be used.<\/p>\n
Navy warships had recently succeeded in sailing back 5,000
\nillegal Indonesian workers, most of them come from Java island,
\nfrom Malaysia in an Armed Forces operation.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, a press officer at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala
\nLumpur, Nawawi Hasbi, told The Jakarta Post that the embassy has
\nnot made special preparation for the possible repatriation since
\nthere has been no formal notification from the Indonesian
\ngovernment.<\/p>\n
\"The Malaysians haven't formally informed us yet about their
\nplan to send home a million of foreign workers in the country,
\nincluding Indonesian workers,\" Nawawi said.<\/p>\n
Nawawi said the latest data showed that there were currently
\nabout 600,000 Indonesians legally working in Malaysia. He could
\nnot give the number of Indonesians working illegally.<\/p>\n
\"We are still wondering whether the Malaysian government meant
\nthe illegal ones, or the legal ones. But, from the (local)
\ntelevision news we think it may be the legal ones,\" he added.<\/p>\n
Malaysian Deputy Minister of Interior Mohd. Tajol Rosli
\nGhazali announced on Friday that the government planned to send
\nback a million migrant workers to their countries.<\/p>\n
The step was taken in line with the government's policy to
\nreduce the use of migrant workers in industries and to provide
\njobs for local fresh graduates. The policy was ruled out as a way
\nto escape from the monetary crisis.<\/p>\n
Antara quoted Tajol as saying that the government encouraged
\nthe workers, whose working permits or contracts had expired, to
\ncome home by their own initiatives and any return to the country
\nis officially prohibited.<\/p>\n
He said the remaining workers whose permits are still valid
\nwould be transferred to export oriented industries such as
\nagriculture and manufacture.<\/p>\n
Record from the Malaysian Immigration Department showed that
\nthe country currently hires two million migrant workers.<\/p>\n
Of the 2 million, 1.2 million came from various Asian
\ncountries like Bangladesh, India, Pakistan, Indonesia, Myanmar,
\nNigeria and the Philippine to earn their living.<\/p>\n
Another 800,000 migrant workers were reported to have come
\nillegally and worked in Malaysia. Indonesian fills the majority
\nof the amount, but the exact number was not available. (09\/aan)<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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