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.