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.