359 RI workers incarcerated in S. Arabian jails

359 RI workers incarcerated in S. Arabian jails

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief disclosed
yesterday that 359 Indonesians are currently imprisoned in Saudi
Arabia.

"They were convicted for various crimes, including theft,
immigration document forgery and adultery. Some of them even have
babies out of wedlock," Latief said after meeting President
Soeharto at the Bina Graha presidential office.

He did not say whether any of the prisoners had been sentenced
to death by Saudi courts, as some labor activists here fear.

Indonesian maid Nasiroh Karmudin escaped execution last month
after a Saudi Arabian court decided to commute her death sentence
because the family of the victim she admitted to killing, after
he allegedly raped her, forgave her.

Another female Indonesian worker, Soleha Anam Kadiran, was
beheaded in Mecca in September after being found guilty of
killing her employer, who had allegedly tried to sexually abuse
her.

"The government has airlifted 24,357 illegal workers from the
oil-rich country in a nearly one-month-long repatriation
operation," Latief said.

The operation, involving Garuda and Air Force planes, had to
be conducted after Saudi Arabia ended its three-month amnesty and
began expelling foreigners working there illegally.

The minister said 93.53 percent of the workers had
intentionally overstayed after performing umrah, the minor Moslem
pilgrimage.

"About 90 percent of them were female workers, mostly from
Cianjur and Sukabumi in West Java, Surabaya and Madura in East
Java, West Nusa Tenggara and South Kalimantan," Latief said.

Latief said Sunday there were still up to 150,000 Indonesians
working and living illegally in Saudi Arabia.

According to the latest Ministry of Manpower figures, legal
Indonesian workers abroad include: 408,211 in Malaysia, 319,444
in Saudi Arabia; 86,209 in Singapore, 26,278 in South Korea;
19,630 in the United Arab Emirates; and 225,567 in Taiwan.

Latief said the government would not tolerate the abuse of
religious journeys to conduct illegal activities.

"The President ordered me to ensure stricter control of the
minor haj pilgrimage and if necessary to punish the brokers who
persuade the workers to go there," Latief said.

The minister revealed that about 700 brokers were involved in
the counterfeiting scam, including giving fake passports to the
workers, many of whom are underaged girls.

Latief said he would seek cooperation from the Armed Forces
and local authorities to crack down on the broker syndicates.

When asked about the percentage of female workers jailed in
Saudi Arabia, Latief said smiling: "I think in theft cases most
of them are male workers, but where adultery is concerned I think
it involves both female and male workers."

The President also ordered him to protect employees of the 16
recently liquidated banks.

"I am ordered to help them find new jobs after losing their
jobs with the banks," Latief said. (prb)