KL punishes RI migrant workers

JAKARTA: Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda reported to the House of Representatives on Monday that 218 undocumented migrant workers had been sentenced in line with the new immigration act imposed in Malaysia.

The minister said the workers were handed down punishment ranging from jail sentences of between nine days and three years to fines of between RM 500 and RM 20,000.

These workers will also receive up to four strokes of the cane, Hassan said.

The Indonesian government has appealed most of the cases and plans to hire six more lawyers to help the current two lawyers representing the Indonesian workers.

For that purpose, the government has allocated about Rp 900 million (US$100,000), he said. --JP