60,000 Indonesian workers have returned to Malaysia

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.