RI awaits clarification from Malaysia: Nuwa<\/p>\n
Dewi Santoso and Ridwan Max Sijabat, Jakarta<\/p>\n
The government is ready to bring home all Indonesians working
\nillegally in Malaysia with the hope that government will stick to
\nthe bilateral agreement on handling illegal migrants, says
\nMinister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea.<\/p>\n
"The government will deploy Navy warships and passenger ships
\nof state-owned PT Pelni to bring home illegal migrants from
\nwherever they will be quarantined," he said on Thursday.<\/p>\n
Nuwa Wea was responding to Malaysia's plan to deport around
\n1.2 million illegal migrants, mostly Indonesian, by this year.
\nBesides assembling 250,000 semi-skilled workers over the next six
\nmonths, the Malaysian government has recruited 400,000 volunteers
\nto raid plantations and construction projects for illegal
\nworkers.<\/p>\n
In addition to the 580,000 Indonesian nationals with
\nlegitimate jobs in Malaysia, an estimated 500,000 others have
\nbeen working illegally on plantations and construction projects.
\nMany believe, however, that number has doubled in the last two
\nyears.<\/p>\n
Nuwa Wea said Indonesia respected Malaysian law and Kuala
\nLumpur's decision to deport all illegal migrants, "but it should
\ndo so in compliance with our bilateral agreement, including the
\nmemorandum of understanding (MOU) signed in May".<\/p>\n
"Malaysian authorities should take action not only against
\nillegal migrants, but also against their Malaysian employers.
\nThis is only fair, and will prevent other Indonesians from
\nentering that country illegally," he added.<\/p>\n
He stressed that the mass deportation must be undertaken so as
\n"to avoid any inhumane treatment" and to prevent the recurrence
\nof an incident like the Nunukan tragedy.<\/p>\n
Nuwa Wea was referring to an incident that ensued from a 2002
\nmass deportation of illegal workers launched by Malaysia, in
\nwhich about 80 Indonesians died of starvation, malaria and
\nvarious ailments in Nunukan, East Kalimantan, and hundreds of
\nothers were jailed in East Malaysia.<\/p>\n
Under the May MOU, the two countries agreed to exchange
\ninformation on labor problems and their handling, including
\nillegal migrant workers.<\/p>\n
In an agreement signed three years ago, the two countries
\nestablished a coordinative deportation effort to curb illegal
\nworkers: Malaysia transports illegal workers to the ports of
\nBelawan in North Sumatra, Tanjung Priok in Jakarta and Tanjung
\nPerak in East Java, while Indonesia is responsible for returning
\nillegal workers to their hometowns.<\/p>\n
"If Malaysian authorities fail to comply with the agreements,
\nthe government will consider suspending labor exports to our
\nneighbor," Nuwa Wea said, adding that he was awaiting details on
\nthe planned mass deportation.<\/p>\n
He said Jakarta would lobby Kuala Lumpur to deport the
\nillegals through ports located near their places of residence.
\nFor example, illegal workers from Riau could be deported to the
\nports of Dumai and Tanjung Pinang, both in Riau, and nearby Pare-
\npare, South Sulawesi.<\/p>\n
Bomer Pasaribu, former manpower minister and chairman of the
\nCenter for Labor Development Studies, said the planned
\ndeportation of illegal migrants would worsen unemployment in the
\ncountry for the next government to resolve.<\/p>\n
He said the number of jobless was estimated to increase with
\nthe planned deportation to almost 11 million from 9.7 million
\ncurrently.<\/p>\n
"In 2002, 500,000 illegal Indonesian workers were deported.
\nThis year, there will be about 900,000, and this will increase
\nthe burden on the already crippled economy," said Bomer.
\nRelated story on Page 4<\/p>",
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
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