Any lessons learnt?

These days -- and nights -- are particularly traumatic ones for certain men and women working or seeking work in Malaysia, many of whom are accompanied by their children. Workers, both legal and illegal, from the Philippines, Indonesia, Bangladesh, Sri Lanka and other countries, are being subjected to raids aimed at flushing out those lacking proper documents, marking the end of the amnesty period for illegal workers. All eyes will be on Malaysia to ensure that they act in accordance with their own laws, no matter what we, as outsiders, may think of their very harsh penalties for illegal immigrants.

After the first predawn raids on Tuesday, Malaysian authorities could proclaim with confidence that all had gone well, and that no one had been hurt. Some 130 people were arrested in the raids, including dozens of Indonesians. Fears raised by near-hysterical non-governmental organizations of potential abuse by the thousands of volunteers recruited to assist in "Operation Firm", remained that, just fears.

With workers streaming into the border areas of East Kalimantan, Indonesian authorities will also be watching with interest to see whether justice will truly be meted out to all -- meaning that the Malaysian agents, brokers and employers who recruit and employ illegal workers will similarly become targets for raids, arrest, detention, fining and whipping.

Whether we agree with Malaysia's policies or not, we must be certain that Malaysia's law enforcers will act evenhandedly against all the violators of their immigration laws. Thus, while we support the insistence of Indonesia's Minister of Manpower Fahmi Idris that Malaysia refrain from discrimination in the enforcement of its laws, it is embarrassing to think that Malaysia cannot expect the same from Indonesia, to take firm action against the evil brokers and agencies here that ruthlessly exploit the poor.

But it would not be at all surprising if, over the following days, it turned out that Malaysia had not learned from its experience in earlier deportation operations. The operations in 1998 and 2002 led to an uproar, with violence breaking out by illegals resisting deportation, as well as the woeful condition of the holding areas.

Similarly -- and though we sincerely hope we will be proved wrong -- it would also not be surprising if Indonesian authorities demonstrate that they too have learnt precious little from experiences of the past. Both governments have indeed signed a memorandum of understanding to improve the facilitating of their mutual needs -- the sending and acceptance of hundreds of thousands of migrant workers who are willing to work so hard away from their homes and families.

The syndicates will probably remain untouchable and continue to send workers to Malaysia illegally, driven by the insatiable demand for cheap workers in Malaysia, and history will also probably repeat itself here in Indonesia.

During the last mass deportation from Malaysia, local authorities in East Kalimantan, particularly in Nunukan where temporary shelters were built, found themselves on the frontlines, receiving tens of thousands of deported workers with very little practical help from Jakarta. "I sometimes wonder whether the central government really cares about these illegal workers," a local official was quoted as saying. In Nunukan in 2002, more than 60 Indonesians -- workers and children -- died as a result of the appalling conditions in the camps. The town's only health center was completely overwhelmed by refugees seeking aid.

The official's remark reflects the feeling that this continually recurring problem is just being ignored, with consecutive governments picking up on the rhetoric of their predecessors and then applying short-term band-aids.

It may be too much at this moment to expect even a slight improvement in terms of action against the all the parties involved in the recruitment and trafficking of undocumented workers. However, the very least our workers are entitled to on returning to their homeland is a little compassion and understanding, rather than further despair and exploitation.