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.