Migrant's plight and public service

Whether we like it or not amid Malaysia's recent policies resulting in the deportation of illegal Indonesian migrant workers and the Ambalat bloc disputes, one thing which is certain is their public service performance.

Jamaludin Haji Ismail, 34, of Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, an Indonesian illegal migrant, underwent medical treatment for three and a half years following a traffic accident that left him completely paralyzed (Kompas, March 14).

As reported, he was involved in a hit and run accident in Perak State in 2001, and was treated in the nearest hospital for three and a half years until his deportation to Indonesia by the hospital management without first paying a single ringgit for his treatment that had actually cost RM$255,550.

The hospital management had contacted the Indonesian Embassy three times to inform the embassy about Jamaludin's condition, but an official of the embassy came to visit him only once, and promised to report the case to the government. However, after waiting for months and years, the official did not return, let alone contact him to render some financial help.

What struck us however, was the hospital management's humane attitude, such that upon leaving the hospital he was provided with a wheel chair and an amount of medicine that must be taken for several months to come. It is rare or even an impossibility that Indonesian public servants would be able to deal with such an event -- a foreign patient without proper documents.

The Ministry of Administrative Reform has been preparing a Public Service bill for the past three years, which is supposed to be finalized this year. One of the articles in the bill requires all public service institutions to adopt a service charter promising the best services to the general public. They are also required to live up to their promises or otherwise will be subjected to penalties.

In addition, the ministry is also preparing a comprehensive public service directory detailing all kinds of services and their respective costs and durationn. Meanwhile, the government's pledge -- as part of compensation fund gained by the fuel subsidy cut, to provide hospital care for free for the poor is worth appreciating. The problem is how to determine one is poor or not, and for how long will it be enjoyed by the poor.

M. RUSDI, Jakarta