Lombok villagers earns living overseas

Lombok villagers earns living overseas

By H. Bur Solihin

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara (Antara): Residents of Lombok
island who work in Malaysia have founded a new neighborhood:
Banjar Malaysia. It is located in the Bakong hamlet of Kebon Ayu
village, Gerung district, West Lombok regency, 30 kilometers
south of here.

They changed the name Bakong to Banjar Malaysia because nearly
80 percent of the inhabitants have worked successfully in
Malaysia.

According to Bakong's chief, A. Saimah, 35, the Indonesian
workers have built a housing complex on 3.5 hectares of Bakong
land from their earnings in Malaysia.

The number of Kebon Ayu inhabitants, especially from Bakong,
now working in Malaysia is 1,130. Another 250 will join them
soon. About 200 of the workers have built houses worth a total Rp
1.45 billion in the 3.5-hectare area. Many houses are empty
because their owners are still in Malaysia. Some of the houses
are occupied by just the wives.

The names of Indonesian migrant workers from Bakong and Kebon
Ayu who have built houses are registered at the village office
and with the hamlet chief. Currently there are 19 workers
building new houses. The workers who have not started building
number 673; they have invested their earnings in cattle and
rice fields.

The Bakong inhabitants working in Malaysia are all government
sponsored. The Bakong chief once threatened residents: "If a
Bakong resident goes to work abroad illegally, I will not make a
visit of condolence to his house when he dies."

Siti Fatimah, 25, said her husband, Ahmad, 30, has been in
Malaysia for two years and has never been back home.

"My husband has been to Malaysia twice. First from 1994 to
1996. He came home to build a seven meter by nine meter house. In
1997 he left again and has not returned. So far, he has
transferred Rp 9 million."

"I accept that my husband works in Malaysia because he is
there for the benefit of his family. I long for him but it is
okay."

According to Fatimah, Bakong residents going to work in
Malaysia borrow Rp 1.68 million each to pay for their trip;
double this amount is paid back upon completion of their work.

She said that wives whose husbands work in Malaysia are
usually called Jamal (janda Malaysia, a Malaysian widow) which is
intended to sound like a man's name.

"I am resigned to that name. The important thing is that my
husband earns a lot of money," she said in a sad voice.

Most of the wives left behind are relatively young. Their
husbands are away not for one month or two months but for several
years. Many of the wives end up suing for divorce at the
religious court.

Having husbands working abroad can be a problem for their
wives but they do contribute largely to the local economy.

Head of the Ministry of Manpower's Planning and Development
Board, Yudo Swasono, and Regional Head of the Ministry of
Manpower's office in West Nusa Tenggara, Susanto, recently
inspected the houses built by the workers in Bakong, Kebon Ayu,
Tempos Daye and Dasan Geres.

Yudo said that for 1998/1999, Malaysia has asked for 40,000
Indonesian workers, 50 percent of whom will be taken from West
Nusa Tenggara, to be placed in oil palm plantations.

This big West Nusa Tenggara quota is ascribed to the migrant
workers from Bumi Gora, who are diligent and live economically.

"Therefore, the Malaysian government and the companies in that
country are very happy to employ people from West Nusa Tenggara,
compared to other places and countries," he said. "Workers for
oil palm plantations are constantly in demand in Malaysia but
there is less demand for workers of industry and construction."

Enclaves

Susanto said recently that West Nusa Tenggara sent 27,690
workers to a number of countries from April to September 1998.
With 15,507 migrant workers from Indonesia, West Malaysia has the
most, followed by East Malaysia with 4,653, Saudi Arabia 7,115,
Singapore 148, Taiwan 110, Hong Kong 87 and Brunei Darussalam 70.

The Lombok community's interest in working abroad, especially
in Malaysia, is so big that the total surpasses the target every
year. He said worker enclaves in West Lombok are mostly found in
Kebon Ayu and Dasan Geres villages, Gerung district, while in
East Lombok they are in Mamben village, Aikmel district.

In Malaysia, there are no other costs imposed. Daily wages
range from 20 ringgit to 40 ringgit (Rp 60,000 to Rp 120,000).
The workers also hold an arisan (a social savings group) so they
can obtain a substantial sum -- Rp 9 million to Rp 10 million --
for each transfer home, he said.

According to Susanto, the money sent home by West Nusa
Tenggara migrant workers from January to August 1998 totaled Rp
226.96 billion through bank transfers: Rp 139.9 billion through
BNI and Rp 87.05 billion through BBD.

He admitted that due to sickness and occupational accidents,
there have been several deaths among the migrant workers. The
latest body was flown in by Garuda on Sept. 25, 1998. The
deceased was a resident of Jerowaru village, Keruak district,
East Lombok.