Indonesian workers still in high demand

Indonesian workers still in high demand

JAKARTA (JP): Despite Malaysia's ongoing deportation of
thousands of illegal workers, Indonesians are still in high
demand in the international labor market, says an official.

Director General of Labor Placement Jack Iskandarsyah said
Indonesia was still exporting 2,000 to 3,000 semi-skilled workers
each month, with an average annual salary of US$2,500.

"The number of Indonesian workers overseas, including illegal
workers, has reached 2.1 million. The country gains about US$6
million annually in foreign exchange from labor exports," he told
The Jakarta Post Monday.

Countries importing Indonesian workers are Malaysia,
Singapore, Saudi Arabia, Qatar, South Korea, Japan, Hong Kong,
Taiwan, the Netherlands, Germany and the United States.

Employment usually open to Indonesian workers are the
positions of domestic help, gardeners and jobs in the plantation,
electronic, health, fishing and construction fields.

Iskandarsyah said most workers had completed junior high
school, were at least semi-skilled and able to speak English.
They are also given relevant information on the countries to
which they are sent.

Saudi Arabia deported 24,000 Indonesian illegal workers last
year, while Malaysia is in the process of repatriating at least
7,000 Indonesians who entered legally to search for jobs.

About 2,000 of 17,000 Indonesians working in South Korea were
there illegally and would be brought home soon to prevent them
from being punished by South Korean authorities. The South Korean
immigration law threats a fine of 3,000 won for foreigners
entering without official documents.

Iskandarsyah said the government had no special plans or
programs for the illegal workers deported by Malaysia and Saudi
Arabia.

"Upon arriving home, they are treated as job seekers ... (or)
they are expected to create their own place in the informal
sector or join the government-sponsored labor-intensive program,"
he said.

Unemployment has risen to nine million following Malaysia's
and Saudi Arabia's deportation of 36,000 Indonesian illegal
workers and the dismissal of 350,000 workers from over 450
companies at home.

The situation is a consequence of the monetary crisis that has
rocked Indonesia for the past nine months.

Indonesia's labor force is 88 million, its population
currently stands at 203 million.

Besides weak government supervision, Iskandarsyah blamed
unauthorized labor brokers for the soaring number of illegal
workers.

"Many job seekers wanting to work overseas prefer unauthorized
labor brokers to official labor export companies because they are
given 'financial guarantees' until they are gainfully employed,"
he said. (rms)