Migrant's plight and public service
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