Illegal workers share bitter stories

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post/Medan

Tati, an illegal worker who recently arrived home from Malaysia, broke into tears when describing her experience working in the neighboring country for a year and a half as a maid without pay.

The 22-year-old native of Central Java initially refused to be interviewed after arriving at Belawan Port in North Sumatra on Thursday.

Carrying her one bag she finally shared her story, which began with an agent in Medan.

She arrived in Malaysia after paying the agent Rp 2 million (US$222) for the promise of a good job.

"When I handed over the money, I was promised I would get a good job with a big salary. But it turned out that I was working as a maid. I worked there for a year and half but never got paid," said Tati, who was supposed to get 350 ringgit (Rp 840,000) a month.

Arriving home penniless on board the Ekspress Bahagia II, Tati recalled how she was frequently beaten by her employer and was not allowed to leave the house in Komtar, Penang.

"The house was like hell. I didn't know where to go or who I should tell about what was happening because I couldn't get out of the house," said the high school graduate.

She was able to get out of the house once when her employer was not home. She went straight to an Indonesian who worked next door. "She helped arrange my escape," Tati said.

Tati fled her employer's home with the help of her friend. She also received help from a Malaysian housewife who bought her a ticket home.

"I promise I won't go back to Malaysia," she said.

Another returning illegal worker, Sumiati, also experienced bad treatment while working in Malaysia.

The mother of three said she was not paid for five months and did not even know what her salary was supposed to be.

"Every time I asked about my salary, my employer would beat me. They burned my hand with an iron once for making a small mistake," said the 35-year-old while showing a scar on her right hand.

The resident of Sipelem village in Batang district, Pekalongan, said she went to Malaysia for work to pay her family's daily expenses and the school fees of her children.

"I worked in Malaysia so my children could stay in school and become smart. But then I was never even paid," Sumiati said.

She said two of her children were in junior high school and high school, while the third was still too young for school. Her husband is dead.

"When I worked in Malaysia, my mother looks after my children. Now I'll take care of them," she said.

She said she would never return to Malaysia. "I don't want to go back there, I had enough."

The head of the Belawan immigration office, Syamsul Bahri, said that since October 14,627 illegal workers had arrived at Belawan from Malaysia. He said all of the returning workers had paid their own way home.