MPR's attention to migrant workers

MPR's attention to migrant workers

In his speech to open the annual session of the People's
Consultative Assembly (MPR), the country's top law-making body
chairman, Amien Rais, disclosed the MPR's plan to discuss
economic recovery.

Unfortunately, in his speech, Amien did not touch on current
crucial issues, such as the repatriation of illegal Indonesian
workers from Malaysia.

The lack of attention to people's daily problems has not only
been shown by the people's representatives but also by state
officials and members of the government's executive bodies. For
example, there has been no official statement from the government
on the exodus of illegal Indonesian workers from Malaysia.

No ranking government official has extended a helping hand to
the workers or has gone to Malaysia to have talks with officials
there. The government has only sent a director general to lobby
the Malaysian government.

A number of Indonesian workers have already returned home
aboard wooden ships as there has been no official statement from
the government on whether or not it will send a ship to fetch the
workers.

Besides important issues, such as amending the 1945
Constitution, the annual MPR session should not forget other
issues that have something to do with the public interest. Wealth
is not something very important (for migrant workers). Having
work is indeed wealth for them and that is what we should be
paying attention to.

-- Kompas