Ramos shows support for workers in KL<\/p>\n
MANILA (Agencies): President Fidel Ramos yesterday leapt to
\nthe support of Filipino migrant workers arrested in Malaysia and
\nordered Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo to take up measures to
\nprotect them with the Malaysian government.<\/p>\n
Romulo is to discuss the issue with his Malaysian counterpart,
\nAbdullah Ahmad Badawi, when they meet in the Indonesian capital
\nJakarta tomorrow for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
\nministerial conference.<\/p>\n
Romulo will discuss setting up grievance mechanisms, access to
\nthe more than 300 migrant workers rounded up last month and the
\nlack of identification cards acceptable to Malaysia, Ramos told
\nhis weekly news conference.<\/p>\n
Senator Blas Ople, chairman of the Senate foreign relations
\ncommittee, earlier urged Ramos to reopen the issue of Manila's
\nterritorial claim to the east Malaysian state of Sabah in
\nretaliation for October's round-up.<\/p>\n
Ramos has criticized the arrests, saying the Filipinos were
\nnot criminals. Kuala Lumpur refused to apologize in a note sent
\nto the Philippine government on Monday, saying it was necessary
\nto arrest workers violating its immigration laws.<\/p>\n
The round-up, the second after Filipino maids were detained in
\nKuala Lumpur last March, has worsened often tense relations
\nbetween the two partners in the Association of Southeast Asian
\nNations.<\/p>\n
Meanwhile, Romulo indicated on Tuesday that the Philippines is
\nnot satisfied with Malaysia's response to its protest over the
\narrest of more than 300 Filipino maids in Kuala Lumpur last
\nmonth.<\/p>\n
Reading from a prepared statement, Romulo told reporters,
\n\"While I appreciate the Malaysian response, which came 10 days
\nafter the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur filed our note, I
\nwill nonetheless continue an intensified discussion with the
\nMalaysian government on this matter.\"<\/p>\n
Warning<\/p>\n
Although refusing to state categorically that Manila was not
\nsatisfied with Kuala Lumpur's reply, Romulo warned reporters
\nbefore he read the statement \"to read my body English\" and when
\nreading it gave particular emphasis to the phrases \"10 days
\nafter\" and \"intensified discussion.\"<\/p>\n
The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur formally filed the
\nprotest with the Malaysian Foreign Ministry on Oct. 28 and
\nreceived a reply on Monday.<\/p>\n
In its reply, Malaysia said the Oct. 23 arrests were carried
\nout to check on foreigners suspected of contravening Malaysian
\nimmigration laws and foreign workers suspected of deserting their
\noriginal employers, thereby violating immigration rules, as well
\nas to ensure that they are not mistreated or abused by private
\nemployment agencies.<\/p>\n
Malaysia also said that such operations are not directed
\ntoward any particular foreign community.<\/p>\n
Noting the difficulty encountered by the Philippine Embassy in
\nobtaining information on the detained Filipino nationals and
\ngaining access to them, Foreign Ministry officials suggested that
\npractical measures be taken to ensure access to Filipinos
\ndetained in Malaysia.<\/p>\n
\"I am convinced that in the spirit of ASEAN amity and
\ncooperation, the details of such measures can be worked out
\nduring the second meeting of the Philippines-Malaysia Joint
\nCommission on Bilateral Cooperation,\" Romulo said. The meeting
\nwill be held in Kuala Lumpur on Jan. 24-27, 1995.<\/p>",
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