Garuda to join in airlift of workers from Saudi
JAKARTA (JP): National airlines Garuda Indonesia will join in the airlift to bring home 10,000 Indonesian workers from Saudi Arabia.
"We have prepared six extra flights in addition to the three weekly regular flights," Garuda president Soepandi said after meeting with President Soeharto at Bina Graha presidential office yesterday.
The Armed Forces has already committed four Hercules C-130 transport planes.
The government has targeted that the workers arrive home on Nov. 8.
President Soeharto met senior government officials yesterday to discuss the repatriation operation.
Among those present were Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief, chief of the State Intelligence Coordinating Board Moetojib, Chief of the Armed Forces' general affairs Lt. Gen. Tarub and the Ministry of Foreign Affairs' director general of foreign economic relations Soemadi Brotodiningrat.
"The President ordered us to bring home all problem workers at the government's expense," Latief said.
According to Latief, an earlier plan to deploy Navy ships has been scrapped because it would be too costly and take too long.
Latief said Garuda had reduced their rate to transport the workers.
"We (the Ministry of Manpower) are paying US$270 person. This fare is very cheap because it is normally $420... Garuda is actually suffering a loss," he said.
Each Garuda flight is expected to transport at least 250 people.
The problem workers were netted in a massive operation launched by the Saudi government following a three-month amnesty period for 100,000 illegal foreigners which expired last week.
More than 364,000 workers from Indonesia, the world's largest Moslem nation, work legally in Saudi Arabia, mostly as housemaids, laborers, drivers and nurses.
Threat
The Saudi government has threatened to punish foreigners who overstay their visas or do not have complete immigration documents with a minimum six-month jail term or a maximum fine of US$26,000.
"About 80 percent of our illegal workers there overstayed after performing the Moslem minor haj pilgrimage and the haj pilgrimage, while 20 percent have working permit problems," Latief said.
He said it was difficult to trace the whereabouts of overstaying workers because their names were not registered at the Indonesian Embassy or consulates.
"Age forgery is also a problem," he said.
The minister also complained that the Saudi government was often late informing Indonesia when a worker was in trouble.
"This is our problem with the Saudis... and we feel that the Saudi government often remains silent with us," Latief said.
According to Latief, 7,000 people are waiting to be taken home at the Indonesian Consulate General in Jeddah. Another 2,900 at the Haj Center in Jeddah and 100 in Riyadh are also waiting to return.
"This number is expected to increase further. Since we coordinated efforts to take them home on Oct. 15 we have sent back 1,276," Latief said.
When asked about the fate of female worker Nasiroh, 24, who is facing a possible death penalty, Latief said: "We have sent our lawyer to defend her. She was accused of shooting her employer, but local officers found that she did not even know how to use a gun."
Nasiroh is waiting to be tried for murdering her male employer in 1994. The Indonesian maid reportedly shot him after he sexually harassed her.
Latief said Nasiroh's family had been sent to Saudi Arabia to meet with her, while Indonesian diplomats were closely following the case.
Last month another Indonesian maid, Soleha Anam Kadiran, was beheaded for murdering her employer.
"We will defend our citizens. This is a matter of dignity," Latief said. (prb)