Four Indonesian workers found dead in Singapore

JAKARTA (JP): Four Indonesian workers in Singapore have been found dead of various causes over the past two weeks, according to Entjim Herrianto, the spokesman of the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore.

Herrianto was quoted by Antara as saying the four, who had worked as domestic helpers, died between Oct. 30 and Nov. 3. They were Rita Kumalasari, 20, Syukriah, 40, Sri Lestari, 25, and Ninis Setioningsih, 26.

Rita reportedly hanged herself, Sri died after she fell 13 floors from her employer's apartment when hanging laundry, while Syukriah was found dead with burn injuries.

"(The embassy) will not repatriate the bodies in the absence of relevant parties, such as the companies that recruited the four, and their employers," Herrianto said.

He did not say where the four workers came from, where their bodies are currently being kept, or the name of the companies that recruited them.

The Straits Times daily in Singapore reported yesterday that Ninis was found dead Monday in her employer's apartment at Block 465, Ris Street 41. No details were provided concerning the cause of death.

The daily did report, however, that the body was found two days after a neighbor e-mailed another local paper, The New Paper, that Ninis was being abused by her employer.

The Times also reported that a day before she died, Ninis asked another Indonesian worker to deliver a letter to the company that recruited her. She said in the letter she wanted to return to Indonesia.

It was also reported that before The New Paper could probe further, it received another e-mail from the neighbor saying Ninis had already died.

Singapore's police have started an investigation into the death of the four workers. A spokesperson at Singapore's labor ministry said Ninis' employer had been ordered not to hire another maid before the police investigation is completed.

Herrianto said he suspected the four workers had been working in Singapore illegally because their names were not registered at the embassy.

"Certain local Singaporean manpower agencies recruit workers directly from Indonesia," he added.

He also disclosed that 11 other female workers who have encountered problems with their employers are being sheltered in the embassy.

According to the latest figure from the ministry, legal Indonesian workers currently total 408,211 in Malaysia, 319,444 in Saudi Arabia, 86,209 in Singapore, 26,278 in South Korea, 19,630 in the United Arab Emirates and 225,567 in Taiwan.

Thousands of others work illegally in these countries.

Many observers have lamented the poor protection for the illegal workers abroad, who often suffered mistreatment at the hands of their employers. (swe)