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.