Migrant workers' test burdensome

Migrant workers' test burdensome

From Republika

I am interested in working in the Middle East but am
disappointed to learn that there are too many time-consuming
regulations and procedures that I have to fulfill. While these
regulations and procedures were originally intended to protect a
migrant worker abroad, it is a fact they are manipulated to
extort money from would-be migrant workers. A worker's competency
test is but one example.

Why hasn't the government paid enough attention to us would-be
migrant workers that are trying to get out of poverty by trying
our luck abroad. Many of us have had to sell our property or get
high-interest loans just to be able to work overseas. Why must we
take a psychology test, which is usually intended for the white-
collar workers? Why must we take an Arabic language test that is
given through a poor-quality cassette? It must be remembered that
we will work in the Middle East as domestic help. Perhaps the
manpower minister should remember that most of us have got only
an elementary school education.

If we fail the test, we have to wait for another one to three
months at the Work Training Centers and will certainly have to
spend more money. When we take our tests, some officials extort
us, making us cash cows even before we leave the country.

We hope the manpower minister and officials of his ministry
improve the situation within as short a time as possible. Do not
let us be cash cows as we are indeed living in poverty. The
policy issued by the manpower ministry unfavorably affects our
lives, not the labor-exporting companies or the Middle East
countries.

MAS ULLAH
Batang, Central Java