Migrant workers postpone departure

DENPASAR, Bali: A number of migrant workers in Bali have had their departure overseas delayed in the wake of the Severe Acute Respiratory Syndrome (SARS) outbreak.

"The migrant workers were ready to depart, but we didn't want anything bad to happen to them, so we temporarily postponed their placement overseas," said the head of Bali's manpower agency, IGP Wijaya, on Wednesday.

Bali's migrant workers mostly work in the tourism sector, such as on cruise ships.

Due to fears of SARS, a number of workers had changed their destinations to SARS-free countries, according to Wijaya. There are a total of 2,000 migrant workers hailing from Bali. -Antara