Malaysia deports some 2,000 migrant workers

JAKARTA (JP): The Malaysian government has deported around 2,000 illegal Indonesian workers over the last two months.

Antara news agency reported on Monday that the illegal job seekers were deported in groups from the Belawan seaport, near the North Sumatran capital of Medan. The last group of 706 people arrived on the Indonesian ship KM Varuna Sakti on Saturday.

Malaysia deported a total of 1,600 illegal workers via the seaport in November.

The illegal migrant workers, mostly from North Sumatra, East Java and West Nusa Tenggara, were detained as they possessed no official documents, such as work permits, passports or visas, to stay and work in Malaysia.

Husein A. Alaydrus, chairman of the Indonesian Labor Export Association (Apjati), called on Indonesian authorities to launch a joint operation along the border areas of the two countries in the Strait of Malacca and Kalimantan to prevent Indonesian job seekers from illegally entering Malaysia.

"It is an old issue but the government has failed to respond to it positively," he told The Jakarta Post by telephone on Monday.

Husein estimates that half of the some 800,000 Indonesian workers employed in electronic factories, oil palm and rubber plantations, and in the construction sector in Malaysia, entered that country illegally.

"The deportation was necessary as the illegal migrant workers pose a serious political and social problem in that country," he said, citing that they had been burdening Malaysia because most of them had no skills and were uneducated.

He said the illegal entry of Indonesian job seekers could be halted if the government, the police, the immigration and the Navy conducted a joint operation along the border areas of the two countries.

Tjeppy Al'oei, director general for labor placement, was not available for comments on Monday evening. (rms)