60,000 Indonesian workers have returned to Malaysia

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Confronted with massive unemployment back home, some 60,000 migrant workers expelled from Malaysia have gone back to that country, many of them without the required immigration documents.

Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla said here on Thursday that of the 150,000 Indonesian illegal workers who had fled to Nunukan, East Kalimantan, some 60,000 had returned to Malaysia, 40,000 had gone home to their provinces of origin, while the remainder were crammed into squalid camps in Nunukan.

"Around 60,000 Indonesian workers have returned to Malaysia, some of them without a passport and other official documents," Kalla said before attending a Cabinet meeting at the State Palace, Jakarta.

Approximately 75 percent of the 480,000 Indonesian illegal workers in Malaysia fled the country early in August after Malaysia implemented a new Immigration Act providing for caning, fines and mandatory imprisonment for foreigners working illegally there.

Dozens of Indonesian workers have reportedly been caned and imprisoned since the law took effect on Aug. 1, triggering harsh criticism from Indonesian leaders, including People's Consultative Assembly (MPR) Speaker Amien Rais, who labeled caning as "inhumane".

On Wednesday, leaders of the House of Representatives (DPR) urged Megawati to withdraw all Indonesian workers, both legal and illegal, from Malaysia to teach the neighboring country a lesson over its harsh treatment of Indonesian workers. This is despite the fact that they must know full well that Indonesia is unable to provide them with jobs.

Indonesia's army of unemployed now stands at around 35 million, and given the government's inability to create jobs, the figure is expected to surpass 40 million in 2004.

Minister of Justice and Human Rights Yusril Ihza Mahendra said on Thursday that the government was speeding up the processing of permits and other documents that workers needed to return to Malaysia.

"But, we have a slight problem because some of these workers have returned to Malaysia without the proper documents. I would urge these workers to abide by the regulations," Yusril said.

Jakarta is currently discussing a new memorandum of understanding to be presented to Malaysia next month in Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, the condition of the workers stranded in Nunukan continues to deteriorate with thousands suffering from various ailments.

Agence France-Presse reported from Nunukan Thursday that since July 29, 24 adults, children and prematurely-born infants have died there.

East Kalimantan provincial health chief Dr. Ridwan Masrun said Thursday that the victims were succumbing to various illnesses, such as severe diarrhea and bronchial asthma.

Idrus Paturusi, another doctor who left Nunukan on Wednesday, said heavy rain fell during the 10 days he was there.

"Now there are those with coughs, skin irritations and diarrhea," said Paturusi, dean of the medical faculty at Hasanuddin University in Makassar, South Sulawesi, where many of the workers are from, AFP reported.

"The water is a concern," said Ibnul, of the East Kalimantan information department. He said about 3,000 returnees were threatened with illnesses such as diarrhea, a figure which Ridwan did not reject.

"They are threatened. They are not yet sick," Ridwan said.

Minister Jusuf Kalla said Thursday that 15 medical doctors had been sent to Nunukan to tend to the returning workers' needs.

"We promise to settle the worker problem in the next three or four months," he said.

Diseases are not the only problem these workers have to fight against in the camps, as they are also being exploited by unscrupulous labor exporting companies.

At least 23 illegal agents in Nunukan are offering to assist workers obtain legal work documents and transportation back to Sabah, East Malaysia.

In return, the agents are asked for Rp 3.5 million (US$393) from each worker, despite the fact that the fee for a passport is only Rp 115,000.

"These agents are also profiting by lending money to the workers, which will have to be repaid be installment every month for the next five years," deputy chief of the South Sulawesi manpower agency Syahrir Tadjuddin said as quoted by Antara.