Troubled migrant workers end up in Batam city<\/p>\n
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Batam<\/p>\n
It's been five days now, and all Siti Rohani can do is sit in
\nBatam city's Social Affairs Office hall. The 24-year-old native
\nof Medan says she ran away from her employer's house in Johor
\nBaru, Malaysia after being beaten.<\/p>\n
\"I could not stand working for my employer, but the agent that
\nplaced me there did not want to know. The agent forced me to keep
\non working there. But I couldn't do it anymore, so I ran away,\"
\nSiti told The Jakarta Post on Tuesday.<\/p>\n
She said she ran away at 6 a.m. on March 14, but was arrested
\nby the Malaysian police who then took her to the Indonesian
\nconsulate in Johor.<\/p>\n
She stayed at the consulate with hundreds of other Indonesian
\nmigrant workers until March 31. Then, along with 17 other
\nIndonesian workers, she then taken by consulate staff to Batam,
\nwhere they were handed over to the social affairs office.<\/p>\n
Four of the 18 housemaids ran away from the office, while the
\nother 13 went back to their hometowns using their own money.<\/p>\n
\"But I don't have enough money, so I'm the only one left
\nhere,\" Siti said.<\/p>\n
She said she went to Malaysia to earn money to help her
\nfamily. She went through a manpower agency in Medan, along with
\ndozens of other Indonesian migrant workers.<\/p>\n
She arrived in Malaysia in January, with the agent promising
\nthat she would get a salary of RM400 (Rp 960,000) per month. But
\nwhen she reached Malaysia, her employer said they would only pay
\nher RM300, which for the first three months would be paid to the
\nagent.<\/p>\n
\"After working there for two and a half months I couldn't
\nstand it any longer. I don't get any money, just physical abuse,
\nso I ran away,\" said Siti, who claimed she had to work 20 hours
\nper day, from 5 a.m. to 1 a.m. daily.<\/p>\n
Head of social insurance and assistance at Batam's social
\naffairs office, Zulfikar, said that many Indonesian migrant
\nworkers from Malaysia had taken shelter at the office.<\/p>\n
Since early January this year, the office had accommodated
\naround 50 migrant workers. On April 1, the Indonesian consulate
\nin Johor Baru sent another 18 housemaids.<\/p>\n
\"Only Siti is left here now. We don't know why the consulate
\nsends so many problematic Indonesian migrant workers here to
\nBatam. Maybe because of its close proximity.<\/p>\n
\"But we're not taking responsibility for runaway workers or
\nsending them back to their hometowns. If we have money, we help
\nto send them back home; if not, they stay here,\" Zulfikar said.<\/p>\n
During their stay at the social affairs office, the workers
\nare given three meals a day.<\/p>\n
\"We can't reject them (the Indonesian migrant workers). The
\nconsulate asked us to take them. It means more work for us, while
\nwe still have many things to do here in Batam,\" Zulfikar said.<\/p>",
"url": "https:\/\/jawawa.id\/newsitem\/troubled-migrant-workers-end-up-in-batam-city-1447893297",
"image": ""
},
"sponsor": "Okusi Associates",
"sponsor_url": "https:\/\/okusiassociates.com"
}