'Malaysia's labor policy benefits TKIs'

'Malaysia's labor policy benefits TKIs'

The Jakarta Post, Jakarta

Malaysia's new labor policy and strict immigration laws may cause
short-term problems for Indonesian migrant workers (TKIs), but in
the long run they will benefit, Coordinating Minister for
People's Welfare Yusuf Kalla said.

Kalla, who was appointed by President Megawati Soekarnoputri
to set up a task force to deal with returning workers, said
Malaysia's deportation of illegal immigrants was not a serious
problem.

"The implementation of Malaysia's policy on illegal workers
and its strict immigration laws will benefit Indonesians employed
in that country because, with the new policy, they will no longer
be overexploited and underpaid," he said here on Tuesday.

He said "both sides could no longer close their eyes to the
reality that the illegal immigrants, mostly from Indonesia, were
underpaid and overexploited. With the new policy, Indonesians
employed in that country will be paid in accordance with the
standard salaries".

"But those sent to that country will have the necessary
documents, such as work visas, passports and labor contracts," he
said, adding that the Malaysian government's policy should be
seen as a positive step.

A number of Malaysian employers have been found to take
advantage of illegal immigrants, forcing them to work longer
hours than allowed under the law and paying them less than the
minimum wage.

"We are reading (in the Malaysian media) that Malaysian
authorities have started to raid Malaysian employers employing
illegal workers," he said.

He said Indonesia would lobby Malaysia on forming a mutual
cooperation and action plan to create a more conducive
environment for investment and foreign workers in Malaysia.

"President Megawati is scheduled to discuss the labor issue
with Malaysian Prime Minister Mahathir Mohamad during their two-
day meeting in Bali on Thursday and Friday," he said.

Kalla admitted the deportation of migrant would cause short-
term problem for the workers, who would have no jobs awaiting
them on their arrival home.

"Let's just say they are having a two-month vacation at home
while they apply for their work visas and passports and improve
their skills to go back to Malaysia legally," he said.

The coordinating minister said the government had allocated Rp
30 billion to help settle the returning workers, and the
authorities in the regions had been asked to step up security to
prevent the workers from turning to crime during their stay at
home.

Husein Alaydrus, the chairman of the Association of Indonesian
Labor Exporters, said Malaysia preferred hiring Indonesian
workers because of the similarities between the two nations.

"Indonesian workers are wanted in Malaysia because the two
nations have a similar language, culture and religion. We are of
the same culture," he said, adding that he was hopeful the two
countries could settle the labor issue peacefully.

Malaysia is cutting down the number of Indonesian immigrants
in Malaysia following two violent incidents involving Indonesian
workers. The first involved workers in a detention camp in Johar
Bahru last October, and the second workers at a textile factory
near Kuala Lumpur in January.

The majority of the more than 400,000 Indonesian workers who
have left Malaysia have already arrived in their hometowns, while
the others are still making their way home.

Foreign news agencies reported on Tuesday that about 30,000
illegal Indonesian workers were believed to still be in Malaysia
because their employers feared that their departure would affect
their businesses.

Some 50,000 workers are in Nunukan, East Kalimantan, waiting
for Navy ships to transport them to their hometowns in South
Sulawesi, East Java and West and East Nusa Tenggara.

Harbiyah Solahuddin, a member of the East Java legislative
council, said upon his arrival from Nunukan here on Tuesday that
only a score of the 50,000 workers came from East Java.

"The workers are no longer upset about the Malaysian
immigration law, and they are just waiting for sea transportation
home," she said.

Some of the workers are paying their own way home by passenger
ship.

AFP reported on Tuesday that Malaysian property developers may
suffer losses of millions of dollars and thousands of hawkers and
petty traders may have to close shop after the mass exodus of
illegal foreign workers.

The news agency reported that according to property developer
Eddy Chen, companies were bracing to pay compensation of up to
five million ringgit (US$1.3 million) a day for the expected late
delivery of projects.

It will take two to three months for the situation to
normalize once new foreign workers are hired and trained, he
said.

Chen said every month of work stoppage would cost developers
another 150 million ringgit. "This is the price developers have
to pay if they can't deliver their houses on time."