Govt slammed over poor handling of returning TKIs

Govt slammed over poor handling of returning TKIs

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

The House of Representatives (DPR) slammed as a complete failure
on Sunday the government's poor handling of Indonesian workers
fleeing Malaysia.

"The government has not only failed (in handling the migrant
workers) but has also appeared to have passed the responsibility
from one ministry to another, especially the Ministry of Manpower
and Transmigration, the foreign affairs ministry and the
immigration office," House Commission I member Yasril Ananta was
quoted by Antara as saying on Sunday.

"The House (Commission I) is monitoring the issue closely and
has planned to summon the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the
Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration over the issue because we
want the government to be more proactive in protecting its
citizens," he added.

House Commission I oversees, among other things, foreign
relations and security issues.

Over 100,000 Indonesians working illegally in Malaysia are
believed to have returned to Indonesia since Malaysia's new
Immigration Act, which seeks caning, fining and imprisonment for
illegal foreign workers, became effective on Aug. 1.

Four Indonesian workers reportedly received two strokes of the
cane and six months' imprisonment, while another had one stroke
and a six-month jail term last week. They are to be deported
after serving the sentences.

The government set up a task force headed by Coordinating
Minister for Social Welfare Jusuf Kalla last week to handle the
repatriation of illegal migrant workers from Malaysia.

Jusuf Kalla said earlier that the government had earmarked
some Rp 30 billion for returning Indonesian workers.

The government tried in vain to persuade Malaysia to extend
the grace period by one month to give Indonesia's more than
480,000 illegal workers there sufficient time to return home.

It was also unable to sign a memorandum of understanding on
migrant workers during a meeting between President Megawati
Soekarnoputri and Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohammad at
Tampaksiring Palace, Bali, last week.

Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea
criticized Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda for the
failure.

According to Yasril, the government had no clear idea about
how to help Indonesian citizens who had encountered difficulties
overseas.

"The priority now is to push the Ministry of Manpower and
Transmigration to take the measures necessary to help the
workers, even though we know that the dispatch of illegal workers
also involved labor recruitment firms and several other
institutions," he said.

He also called on the government to deal with illegal labor
recruitment firms and reorganize the sending of workers overseas.

An East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) legislator criticized the
government on Sunday for concentrating too much on the
repatriation of illegal workers from Sabah, East Malaysia, and
ignoring the plight of migrant workers in West Malaysia.

United Development Party (PPP) legislator Jahiddin Umar said
that many illegal workers from NTT who had returned to Indonesia
via Batam, Riau were now in financial difficulty in Batam.

Meanwhile, a legislator from West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) province
expressed concern on Sunday that the return of illegal workers
from Malaysia would create a new problem for the province as most
would, in due course, become penniless.

"This is a serious problem for the province as the local
administration cannot provide job opportunities for them," PPP
legislator Hadi Faishal was quoted by Antara as saying on Sunday.