36 Indonesian workers died in Singapore, ministry says

BATAM, Riau (JP): Thirty-six Indonesians working in Singapore have died over the past two years, and most of them committed suicide, an official at the Ministry of Manpower told Antara on Friday.

The head of the Working Women's Service Center at the ministry's Batam office, Feybe Lumanaum, said most of the workers were employed as housemaids.

"Most of the workers committed suicide by jumping out of the apartments where they worked," Lumanaum said.

Indonesian Consul in Singapore Entjim Herrianto said that last year 1,421 case were reported of Indonesian workers fleeing their jobs and asking for protection from abusive employers.

He said that 61 of the 1,421 cases had been handled by the Singapore Police -- including the deaths of 36 female workers.

Lumanaum said most of the workers had filed complaints with the local police that their employers had sexually harassed them and physically abused them.

Some of the workers, however, were reportedly found to have fabricated the accusations against their employers, she said.

"The police officials, in return, took firm action against those who were caught lying," she said.

Separately in Medan, North Sumatra, immigration officials were still searching for three foreigners who had reportedly entered the country through the Belawan seaport without visas.

The news agency reported on Friday that the illegal tourists were identified as Naser J. Sayar, 45, and Hair M. Aji, 35, both Iraqi citizens, and 41-year-old French man Ferreira Da Silva Eo Ardo.

According to North Sumatra immigration official Imam Soeprapto, the three entered Belawan port on the ferry Langka Suka together with 100 other passengers.

Imam said they failed to produce visas when officials asked for their travel documents. They then said they would make calls at a nearby telephone booth and disappeared.

Witnesses said the three escaped in a car to Medan, Imam said.

"Up until now we're still searching for the three men," he said. "Foreigners cannot enter the country without proper documents. We've put search warrants out for them."

Meanwhile, a Hong Kong resident and a man from Singkawang, West Kalimantan, would be tried soon in Batam for allegedly forging passports.

Director for immigration supervision Zaiman Nurmatias said in a press statement on Friday that the two, identified as William Lee, 38, and A Pen, 24, were captured at separate immigration checkpoints in Batam.

"William was netted in Batu Ampar Port on June 11 and A Pen was captured in Marina Teluk Senimba Port on May 28," Zaiman said. (edt)