Illegal migrant workers

Illegal migrant workers

From Media Indonesia

The worsening national economy has resulted in tens of
millions of people becoming unemployed or half employed. And they
still have to support their families. Owing to the difficulty of
getting jobs at home, they have been forced to seek employment
abroad.

The lack of money to buy travel documents has again forced
them to go to Malaysia by any possible means, as long as they can
work in the neighboring country, where many plantations and other
businesses are in need of labor.

This has lasted for years since 1985, with lots of Indonesian
migrant workers (TKI) leaving for Malaysia and returning home,
before the promulgation of Malaysia's immigration law. Some of
the illegal TKI, however, created trouble in Malaysia, leading to
the enforcement of the immigration law to maintain security and
order.

In fact, labor recruitment companies are primarily responsible
for the situation, because they have been granted special
facilities but mostly are focussed on profit making instead of
functioning according to official requirements. Consequently, a
major problem is now truly emerging.

In order to surmount this manpower issue, the Ministry of
Manpower and Transmigration should formulate a concept,
particularly the setting up of a workers' bank. Besides, other
ministries should also contribute to its solution because
unemployment has to be handled nationally.

For proper coordination, the Coordinating Minister of Public
Welfare should proactively draw up a master plan with the
assistance of relevant ministers, especially those dealing with
TKI.

H. MARSOESI

Surabaya