More than 600,000

More than 600,000
RI migrant workers
employed illegally

The Jakarta Post
Jakarta

More than 600,000 Indonesian migrant workers, mostly women, face
labor exploitation in several countries as they are employed
illegally, while hundreds are stranded at several embassies
because of problems that developed with employers, labor
exporters said on Thursday.

Husein Alaydrus, the chairman of the Association of Labor
Export Companies (Apjati), said that despite its tight policy on
migrant workers, Malaysia still employs between 400,000 and
600,000 Indonesians who migrate to the neighboring country
illegally.

"Out of some 1,000,000 Indonesians working in Malaysia, about
50 percent are employed illegally because they do not hold the
necessary documents, including immigration permits and working
visas, to work in that country. The more the Malaysian
authorities net illegal workers through routine operations, the
more Indonesians are entering that country illegally," he told
The Jakarta Post.

The Malaysian government has enforced a tight policy on
migrant workers, especially those from Indonesia, due to two
consecutive acts of violence incited by Indonesian workers in
Johor last October and near Kuala Lumpur last December. Over the
past six months, Malaysia has also expelled tens of thousands of
Indonesian workers for illegally entering the country,
undermining the two countries' bilateral ties.

He also pointed out that more than 22,000 of 400,000
Indonesians employed in the Middle East were not registered at
Indonesian embassies and their presence had gone undetected.

More than 138 Indonesian workers, who have had problems
develop with their employers, were stranded at the Indonesian
embassies in Kuwait and Saudi Arabia because they had no money to
return home.

"They left their workplace for numerous reasons. But most have
left their employers' homes because they were mistreated or
underpaid," he said.

Anthon Sihombing, a labor exporter, said the rampant smuggling
of Indonesian workers overseas had a lot to do with the absence
of the government's tight measures against unauthorized
businesspeople and companies without labor export licenses and
the ease of ordering Indonesian workers to work abroad.

"So far, many individuals and unauthorized companies have
exported workers overseas without any knowledge of the Ministry
of Manpower and Transmigration and Apjati. This means the workers
are employed without a labor contract regulating their payments,
working conditions and legal protection," he said.

Separately, Muhammad Yunus, a labor observer, blamed the
government for the employment of illegal Indonesian workers
because it failed to deregulate the labor export ruling and take
action against the smuggling of illegal workers abroad.

"Labor exploitation can be found easily, not only at home but
also overseas. It is natural but inhumane of employers to employ
cheap laborers because of an absence of the workers' labor
contract and other necessary documents," he said.

He said the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration should
improve cooperation with the immigration office, port authorities
and the Navy to curb rampant smuggling of illegal workers.