Malaysia slaps temporary ban on intake of Indonesian workers

Agencies, Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta

Malaysia will temporarily halt the intake of Indonesian workers following recent riots and consider labor from Cambodia and Vietnam, Deputy Premier Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said Wednesday.

The cabinet had also agreed to set up a team of coastguards to prevent illegal entry through the country's long shoreline, Abdullah said.

"We will not be able to take the Indonesian workers now," he told a news conference to outline government policies on foreign workers.

"We don't use the word freeze but for the time being, we should also be giving places to other workers. For a long time we have been giving preference to the recruitment of Indonesian workers," he was quoted by AFP as saying.

"There are other countries that have been appealing to us to take some of their workers like Cambodia, Vietnam and others. It's about time we gave them some consideration."

Abdullah, who is also the home minister, said there were already too many Indonesian workers in Malaysia, including a huge population of illegal immigrants.

"There has been too much trouble."

In response to Kuala Lumpur's stiff measures, the Consortium for Indonesian Migrant Workers Advocacy criticized Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad for deporting the rioting workers too quickly without first completing a proper investigation into the riot apparently sparked by "dubious" charges of possible drug use by the workers.

"Don't forget that Malaysia's Twin Towers in Kuala Lumpur and the Sepang International Airport are just among a few of your country's buildings built with the powerful force of Indonesian laborers," the consortium said in a written statement sent to The Jakarta Post on Wednesday.

"At least carry out a fair investigation into the riot."

Meanwhile, in Jakarta, the government sent two officials to Malaysia on Monday to provide legal assistance to Indonesian workers arrested for rioting there, Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea said.

"One is a director from our manpower ministry and the other is a former labor attache there," Jacob said after a Cabinet meeting on Wednesday.

Jacob said that the government would provide a legal defense for the workers.

He also urged Malaysia to not discriminate against Indonesian workers.

"(Malaysia) needs our workers. There are about 400,000 Indonesians working there ... I doubt Malaysia would just leave us behind," Jacob told reporters.

"If the Malaysian government truly wishes to deport our workers, I hope only those who are guilty will be sent home."

He repeated his regret over the incident and said that Indonesia would closely screen all overseas-bound workers in the future.

Some 400 Indonesians staged the protest at a textile factory in the central state of Negeri Sembilan on Jan. 17 after police attempted to detain 16 workers for alleged drug abuse.

A total of 125 Indonesians were arrested after the riot.