Malaysian consulate temporarily closes

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Several people line up outside the office of the Malaysian consulate in Medan. They were just a few of the hundreds of would-be migrant workers who were stranded on Wednesday following the closure of the consulate, apparently due to the rising anti- Malaysian sentiments in Indonesia.

Due to the closure three days ago, people wanting to work legally in Malaysia have not been able to obtain their work visas.

Dahlia binti Lolo recounted that she had lodged her work visa application a week ago, but as of Wednesday she had still not got it. "Today is the third time I've come here, and the office is still closed. I need the visa immediately so that I can get back to Malaysia and resume work," said Dahlia in front of the consulate.

Dahlia had worked legally as a maid for three years in Kuala Lumpur, but because her working visa expired she had to return to Indonesia to have it renewed.

Alfi, a staffer at a manpower recruitment agency in Medan, said that the consulate closure had affected the departure of many migrant workers to Malaysia. Malaysian employers have complained about the sluggish processing of Indonesians wishing to work in Malaysia, he said.

Responding to the complaints, Malaysian consul-general in Medan Mohd Yusoff A. Bakar confirmed that the office had been closed due to waves of anti-Malaysian protests. He said that the office would reopen when the situation returned to normal.