Indonesians face ordeal in Tawao

Indonesians face ordeal in Tawao

Rusman, The Jakarta Post/Tawao, Malaysia

Hasriwinata, 47, along with eight friends from Banten province,
was fast asleep in a room at the Indonesian Consulate in Tawao,
east Malaysia.

He looked weary after enduring a tough journey through forests
and mountains for two days and nights as he fled an oil palm
plantation in Sabah, where he once worked.

Hasriwinata had been cheated by a recruitment agency.

"During the escape, we ate whatever was there and drank any
water we found along the way. We sometimes had to evade Malaysian
police dogs. We are determined to return home, even though there
are no jobs awaiting us," he said.

Hasriwinata's ordeal is not uncommon among Indonesian migrant
workers. Tales of harsh treatment and deception from foreign
employers have become ordinary among migrant workers.

Some Indonesian migrant workers experienced racism when they
set foot in Malaysia. Even so, the neighboring country is still
the preferred place to make or improve their livelihood.

The predicament faced by the nine Banten residents was,
however, far different from that of others.

Abdullah, a trader from Tarakan in East Kalimantan has
apparently used Tawao to make quick cash. The Indonesian goods he
sells surreptitiously has increased his wealth. Likewise,
Malaysian products sell well in Indonesia. He routinely travels
to Tawao every week to carry out his trading business.

The city is also easily accessible to Indonesian traders
stocking their merchandise. It is not strange that many
Indonesians, be they traders, tourists or drivers, are found
almost everywhere across Tawao. Many illegal Indonesian migrant
workers have often sneaked into Malaysia through the city.

It is not difficult to enter Tawao. All you need is a passport
or a border-crossing pass. The shortest route is through Tunon
Taka harbor, Nunukan regency, in the northernmost part of East
Kalimantan.

The trip from Nunukan to Tawao costs only RM20.00 by boat, or
about Rp 50,000 (US$5.50), and takes around two hours by the
Malaysian NV Mid East Express, which has a capacity of 100
passengers. A traveler reports to the immigration office at the
harbor.

Small Malaysian islands with stilt wooden houses are scattered
along the journey, as many log freighters. Our boat carried
Indonesian products to be sold in Tawao.

About two kilometers out of Tawao port, a Malaysian military
speedboat drew alongside and demanded the captain to weigh
anchor. All passengers became tense, and the crew bustled around
arranging passenger documents.

Since the Sept. 9 bomb blast in Jakarta, Malaysian authorities
had beefed up security at all ports of entry.

Journalists of The Jakarta Post, Antara national news agency,
SCTV and News tabloid, who were among the examined passengers,
also became nervous and quickly hid their cameras.

Ever since former prime minister Anwar Ibrahim was freed from
prison, Malaysian authorities have allegedly been worried that
Indonesian journalists could provoke social and political unrest
in their coverage of the Anwar case, to the extent that any
unidentified people caught taking photographs could be arrested
and questioned.

Authorities also inspected Indonesian products like batik and
palm sugar, which are banned from entering Malaysia upon fears
that they would have negative impacts on the economy.

"If Malaysian police find them, they will immediately
confiscate them and fine the owners RM12.00," said Siah, a
passenger who was once fined for a similar offense.

Tawao port is crowded with tourists, port workers and migrant
workers seeking jobs. Local products were stockpiled near the
port, ready to be transported to Nunukan.

The port is virtually dominated by Indonesians, who generally
serve as street vendors, sidewalk hawkers, shopkeepers and
transportation workers.

As in Jakarta, sidewalk hawkers and vendors are often chased
away by Malaysian police officers, who accuse them of being
troublemakers.

"There are many things we could do in Tawao instead of looking
for jobs in Indonesia. Most taxi drivers and petty traders here
are Indonesians," said Jalaluddin, who has been working for five
years as a taxi driver in Tawao.

Indonesians are called "Indons", with many Malaysians
perceiving them as blue-collar workers because they take on
whatever jobs are available and are a majority workforce.

"Even though they are rough workers, the Indons are strong and
diligent. So, it's better for us to employ them in the tough
sectors," said Azizah, a Malaysian national.

"Malaysians are not keen to work in hard labor, so they leave
them to the Indonesians. We'd rather pay them than carry heavy
loads ourselves," she added.

However, Hasriwinata is resolute about not staying in
Malaysia. He and his eight friends decided to return home because
they consider the neighboring country wicked and unfriendly. "We
don't want to become slaves in another country," he argued.

"Even though there are no jobs to provide for our families in
Indonesia, we still prefer to become slaves in our own country.
Here in Malaysia, our values are despised. No matter how bad our
country is, it's still better than here," Hasriwinata said.