Indonesia illegal workers return home
Indonesia illegal workers return home
Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung Pinang
Some 184 Indonesian illegal workers arrived back in Indonesia at
the Sri Bintan Pura International Port in Tanjung Pinang, Riau
Islands province on Thursday from Malaysia.
The workers, who were jailed by Malaysian authorities for not
having proper immigration documents, arrived at the port at 2:30
p.m.
One of the illegal workers, Udin Batubara, 36, said he was
arrested by Malaysian police on Oct. 10 last year because he did
not have documents to legally work as a construction worker in
Kedah.
"I was whipped once on my thigh. It was really painful, but
I'll be going back to Malaysia. Working there is better than in
Indonesia. I'll get my immigration documents first," said the
native of Tanjung Balai, Asahan in North Sumatra, who first came
to Malaysia in 1993.
Udin claimed he went to Malaysia for the first time using a
social visit visa, instead of obtaining a working permit.
Another returning illegal worker, Alam, a 24-year-old native
of Makassar in South Sulawesi, said he was arrested in January
this year for not having a permit to work in Malaysia.
"I work as a tradesman in the furniture industry in Johor. The
salary isn't much, only RM 40 per day. I had only worked there a
month when I was arrested," said Alam, claiming that he felt
deceived by the manpower company that had sent him there with
promises of a big salary.
"I don't want to go back to Malaysia," said Alam, who said he
has no money left to get back to his hometown.
Similar sentiments also came from Sumarli, a 22-year-old
mother of a baby girl who was born when she was in the Pokok Sena
Prison.
The native of Lampung claimed she arrived in Malaysia in mid
2004, without a work permit.
"My baby was born in the prison. My husband was also arrested
for not having work permit. I'll never go back there. Living in
the prison is so sad. I was beaten and my belongings that we
bought from working there could not be taken home," Sumarli said.
Head of the immigration traffic section at Tanjung Pinang
Immigration Office, Yhon Rizal Yohannis, said Thursday's arrivals
was the biggest return of illegal Indonesian workers who had
completed serving their time in Malaysian prisons.
Previously, some 148 deported Indonesian illegal immigrants
arrived on April 15, 69 more on April 17, 32 on April 22 and 114
on April 27.
"The workers arrive here by using the MV Sentosa ship, usually
on Thursdays. Their trips back home are paid for, up to Tanjung
Priok Port (in Jakarta) along with food money. But they're not
given money, everything is arranged by the ship's agent trusted
by the Malaysian government," Yhon said.
He said that many Indonesian workers continues to go to
Malaysia despite the threat of deportation. His office, he added,
had recorded hundreds of Indonesian workers who had gone back to
Malaysia without proper documents.