170,000 illegal Indonesian workers still in Malaysia

170,000 illegal Indonesian workers still in Malaysia

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Around 170,000 illegal Indonesian workers were still working in
Malaysia while 310,000 others had returned home, Coordinating
Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said here on Thursday.

He said Indonesia had hired Malaysian lawyers to help those
arrested by Malaysia authorities.

"According to reports from the Indonesian embassy in Malaysia,
48 illegal workers have been arrested and tried in district
courts but none have been caned," he said.

Kalla, speaking during a press conference, was accompanied by
Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra,
Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda and Minister of
Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea.

Jusuf Kalla said the total number of illegal workers in
Malaysia was recorded at 480,000. The number of legal workers was
620,000, giving a total of 1.1 million Indonesians working in
Malaysia.

Yusril denied reports that some illegal workers had been caned
but admitted that some had been arrested and were facing legal
action.

"With the help of local lawyers who have been hired by the
government, the illegal workers are getting legal aid to avoid
caning," he said.

However, press reports from Kuala Lumpur said that five
Indonesians were among the first illegal workers in Malaysia to
receive caning penalties. In addition, they all received jail
sentences ranging from six months to two years.

Six more Indonesians were sentenced on Monday to six strokes
of the cane each and jailed for eight months, according to a
report from The Star newspaper.

Hassan has urged embassy officials in Kuala Lumpur and
consular staff in a number of Malaysian cities to help repatriate
Indonesians and hire local lawyers to help workers awaiting
trial.

Meanwhile, former president Abdurrahman "Gus Dur" Wahid
slammed the government's handling of the crisis.

"The problem of Indonesian workers is the failure of
Megawati," Gus Dur said referring to his successor President
Megawati Soekarnoputri.

He also regretted the government's failure to prevent
Indonesians from being caned.

"The government is negligent, and it should not be repeated
again," he said.