Malaysians criticize Indonesian minister

Malaysians criticize Indonesian minister

Agence France Presse, Kuala Lumpur

An employers group criticized a recent allegation by a Jakarta minister that Malaysian businessmen were behind the flood of Indonesian illegals, a report said Saturday.

Shamsuddin Bardan, executive director of the Federation of Malaysian Employers said employers prefer cheap labor. "But Malaysian employers definitely have never had preference for cheap illegal employers," he was quoted as saying by The Sun newspaper.

Employers were aware of the stiff penalties for hiring illegal workers, he said. Those caught for employing illegals can be fined up to 5,000 ringgit (1,316 dollars) or jailed up to five years.

Shamsuddin said Indonesia should ensure its workers do not leave its shores illegally.

Indonesian Manpower Minister Jacob Nuwa Wea Thursday said unscrupulous Malaysian businessmen were partly to blame for the thousands of Indonesian illegal immigrants working in the country.

Malaysian bosses appeared to prefer illegal workers because they could be paid less than legal ones, he said.

"And if the Malaysian businesses ran into trouble with these workers, particularly with regard to wages, they usually will report to the police that some illegal workers are serving their companies," he alleged.

Hamdan Adnan, president of the Federation of Malaysian Consumers Association said Nuwa Wea's comment was "undiplomatic."

"The fact is there is job scarcity in Indonesia, and that explains why they are willing to risk their lives to come to Malaysia.