36 Indonesian workers died in Singapore, ministry says
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)