Saudi minister admits RI workers' problems, urges proper training<\/p>\n
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta<\/p>\n
Saudi Arabia still needs Indonesian migrant workers to work as
\ndomestic helpers and also in the medical and electronic sectors.
\nProblems have occurred when the workers do not have adequate
\nskills even to do domestic work, said Saudi Arabian Minister of
\nLabor and Social Affairs Ali bin Ibrahim Al-Namlah.<\/p>\n
Al-Namlah said when meeting Vice President Hamzah Haz here on
\nTuesday that Indonesian migrant workers' inability to speak
\nArabic and to operate home appliances had led to problems between
\nthe workers and their employers.<\/p>\n
Therefore, he encouraged the Indonesian government to provide
\nproper training for the workers before sending them abroad.<\/p>\n
Antara reported that Al-Namlah was disappointed with the
\noverexposure of abuse cases in the local media as only 400 of
\n330,000 Indonesian migrant workers, or 1.2 percent, had reported
\nincidents of serious abuse.<\/p>\n
The media has given wide coverage on the abuse of Indonesian
\ndomestic helpers in Middle Eastern countries after 19 female
\nworkers returned home from Kuwait with injuries they received
\nwhile employed there.<\/p>\n
Separately, Muhaimin Iskandar, deputy speaker of the House of
\nRepresentatives, visited migrant workers currently hospitalized
\nat the Soekanto Police Hospital in Kramat Jati, East Jakarta.<\/p>\n
He urged the government to set up a crisis center, comprising
\nall related ministries, to address the migrant workers problems.<\/p>\n
\"We (the House) also urged the government to immediately
\ndeliberate the migrant workers protection bill,\" he said.<\/p>\n
The bill was submitted to the government last month.<\/p>\n
Normawati, a volunteer with the Consortium for Migrant Workers
\nProtection (Kopbumi) who accompanies Muhaimin, said that
\nactivists have pushed the government to take serious measures to
\nprotect migrant workers.<\/p>\n
She demanded the government temporarily halt sending workers
\nabroad until it improved recruitment and training practices and
\nimproved protection for the workers.<\/p>\n
15 returning workers end up in hospital<\/p>\n
Within only two weeks, a total of 15 female migrant workers
\nreturning from Middle Eastern countries have been hospitalized at
\nthe Soekanto Police Hospital in East Jakarta upon their arrival at the
\nSoekarno-Hatta International Airport.<\/p>\n
Ten of the workers are being treated at the hospital's
\npsychiatric ward, while five others are being treated by
\ninternists.<\/p>\n
Ida, who comes from Indramayu, West Java, had to be
\nhospitalized after she returned from Jordan with severe injuries.<\/p>\n
She said that her employer often stepped on her bladder
\nwhenever she made mistakes. Dina, a migrant worker activist who
\naccompanied Ida, said that Ida's legs were so weak she often
\ntrembled.<\/p>\n
Rini, 22, was abused sexually by her employer in Saudi Arabia.
\nShe has been working as a domestic helper for 20 months.<\/p>\n
\"The father and the son attempted to rape me. When I report
\nthem to the mother, she slapped my face,\" said Rini, who just
\nreturned three days ago.<\/p>\n
She said her employers hit her almost every day for small
\nmistakes like using too much washing powder.<\/p>\n
The stress due to the abusive treatment she received has
\nresulted in amnesia. She cannot remember her parents or where
\nthey live. -- JP<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/saudi-minister-admits-ri-workers-problems-urges-proper-training-1447893297",
"image": ""
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"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
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