Government readies advocacy teams for migrant workers

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Indonesian Migrant Workers (TKIs) in Malaysia, Saudi Arabia, and Kuwait will soon be accompanied by government-sponsored advocacy teams to ensure that their rights are protected, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Jusuf Kalla says.

"The government has appointed advocacy teams to register, monitor, and defend TKIs in the three countries," Kalla said after chairing a meeting here on Tuesday.

The announcement came following press reports that four Indonesian workers could face the death sentence in neighboring country Singapore.

Kalla did not reveal when the advocacy teams were appointed nor their members, saying only that each advocacy team consisted of three students and one civil servant.

One advocacy team, according to Minister Kalla, would be in charge of 10,000 TKIs.

There are currently around one million TKIs in Malaysia, 500,000 in Saudi Arabia, and 40,000 in Kuwait.

Migrant workers in those countries have commonly experienced problems and crimes against them, including salary cuts, torture and rape.

Kalla said that the government would also hire lawyers in countries of employment to defend TKIs facing legal cases.

He revealed that Indonesia and Malaysia would sign a memorandum of understanding (MOU) in April on the placement of TKIs in that country.

"The agreement to sign the MOU came after representatives from both countries approved the draft and the Malaysian Parliament endorsed it," Kalla said.

The draft, according to the minister, covers four main issues -- the recruitment process, passport security, medical check-ups, and transportation.

According to Kalla, Indonesia and Malaysia had agreed that the recruitment and medical checks of workers would still be done by Indonesian worker-recruitment companies, while the passports of TKIs would be kept by their Malaysian employers. Airfares -- back and forth -- would be jointly shouldered by Indonesian worker-recruitment firms and Malaysian employers.

"But if they (TKIs) make mistakes and thus have to be deported, they have to shoulder transportation fares themselves," Kalla said.

He also said that both countries agreed that TKIs working in Malaysia would receive the minimum salary of US$10 per day.

The minister unveiled that the government had hired Singaporean lawyers to defend the four TKIs who may face the death sentence in Singapore.

The four workers have been identified as Juminem, 19; Siti Aminah, 19; Genes, 19; and Sundarti, 20. They are facing murder charges.

"We have hired local (Singaporean) lawyers, so it is not true if some say that the government did nothing to help them," Kalla said.

Sundarti was sentenced to death for allegedly killing her employer and her child. She appealed the verdict.

Juminem, Siti Aminah, and Genes are now awaiting court verdicts.

Meanwhile, Minister for Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said on Monday that his office would limit TKI recruitment to those who had sufficient language skills to work overseas.

Indonesian migrant workers by 2003:

No. Country Number of TKIs Death case

1. Malaysia 1,000,000 57 cases

2. Saudi Arabia 500,000 8 cases

3. Singapore 40,000 17 cases

4. Taiwan 40,000 4 cases

5. Kuwait 30,000 2 cases