Indians questioned over work permits
JAKARTA (JP): The Directorate General of Immigration has questioned eight employees of PT Tripar Multivision Plus (PT TMP), who are all Indian nationals, for allegedly violating immigration procedures.
The director of the immigration supervision department, Zaiman Nurmatias, said in a press release sent to The Jakarta Post yesterday that the eight are identified as Sharad Sharan, Zala Mukesh Vadandigh, Haresh Laxman Sawant, Nemichand Bhagwansa Gore, Suresh Somappa, Sanjaj Sanatan Prasad, Vasant Ramjibhai Patel and Rajesh Kumar Rahi.
"They were questioned yesterday during the shooting of a TV drama called Janjiku at the Cipinang Raya housing complex in East Jakarta," Zaiman said.
The questioning by the immigration office followed a report from a newspaper reporter who told immigration officers that he and several fellow journalists were barred from covering the shooting of the drama. He said they were also not allowed to take pictures.
A team from the immigration office was then sent to the location. The team monitored the location for about four hours.
Zaiman said when the immigration officials arrived at the scene, the drama crew were waiting for the arrival of popular local drama starlet Paramita Rusadi. After Paramita arrived, the immigration officials entered one of the houses at the location for the shooting of the drama and immediately asked the eight Indian men to show their travel documents.
"It turned out that none of them could show their legal travel documents," Zaiman said.
Following intensive questioning at the head office of the directorate general of immigration, Zaiman said that the eight Indians entered Indonesia through Soekarno-Hatta airport by using the Multiple Business Visa facility issued by the Indonesian embassy in Bombay.
They were given working permits by the Ministry of Manpower on Sept. 12. However, in their application letters for visas and in a written statement signed by Raam Jethmal Punjabi, an Indian immigration official, it was implicitly stated that their intention for coming to Indonesia was merely for business and not to seek jobs.
"Therefore, they have violated the immigration procedures because in their visas, it is clearly stated that they are not allowed to work in Indonesia," Zaiman said, adding that the Indians might be deported immediately. " But we need to consult the Ministry of Manpower first."
PT TMP produces the Janjiku drama in cooperation with Tash Network Ltd. based in Bombay, India. The leading stars in the drama are Paramita Rusadi and Reynold Subekti. The drama also features several other Indonesian actors and artists, including Anwar Fuadi, Ully Artha and AB Fauzi.
According to a crew member, the drama will have 30 episodes.
On Sept. 10, the immigration office arrested six foreigners who failed to show legal travel documents.
The foreigners, all in their 20s, are from Morocco and Algeria.
Ten days later, the Tangerang office of the Ministry of Manpower deported three foreigners for working without the necessary permits.
Two of the three deported foreigners were Japanese nationals who worked at a garment factory in Mauk district, Tangerang. (bas)