Officials 'lying' about returning workers
The Jakarta Post, Jakarta
A hearing at the South Sulawesi provincial legislature about the handling of illegal migrant workers returning from Malaysia turned ugly on Thursday, with councillors accusing government officials of lying.
During the hearing a member of council Commission E for the people's welfare, Adil Patu, said the Parepare head of the manpower and transmigration office, Nawasir Nawawi, had misled the public by claiming his office had taken care of more than 3,000 returning migrant workers.
Adil lost his temper when Nawasir failed to provide concrete data on how the money had been spent.
"How could you say your office is taking care of thousands of migrant workers while in fact only a few have arrived at the Parepare seaport?" Adil said as quoted by Antara.
Visiting the port on Wednesday, Governor Amin Syam met only three illegal migrant workers who left Malaysia under an amnesty program. On the same day, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono greeted hundreds of returning migrant workers in two ports in Riau.
"I doubt the accountability of the provincial manpower office in using the emergency funds," Adil told the officials, who included provincial manpower office head Syahlan Solthan.
Another councillor, Andi Tja Tjambolang, said the office had also wasted Rp 140 billion (US$15.3 million) in central government funds allocated to tackle the likely increased unemployment resulting from the mass return.
An estimated 400,000 migrants are expected to stream into the country following Malaysia's offer to grant them amnesty before the Idul Fitri holiday. The amnesty lasts until Nov. 14.
In Kupang, the East Nusa Tenggara health office said it would require all returning migrant workers to undergo blood tests to prevent the possible spread of sexually transmitted diseases.
Separately, Director General of Labor Placement Overseas, I Gusti Made Arka, said as of Thursday the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia had issued about 30,000 substitute passport documents and opened 20 more counters to serve illegal Indonesian migrants who wished to return home.
The counters would stay open until 9 p.m. local time, said Arka, who is in Kuala Lumpur along with manpower minister Fahmi Idris to assist the migrants' exit.
Arka said the government was anticipating a boom in demand for the documents after Sunday, as most workers in Malaysia received their wages on the seventh day of the month.
He said the Malaysian Home Ministry had asked all employers to pay the wages of their Indonesian workers on time before their departure.
Fahmi is scheduled to hold talks with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi on Friday about labor export issues.
Arka said many Malaysian employers had expressed concern that they would no longer be able to employ Indonesian workers.
Office data revealed 90 percent of Indonesian workers employed in Malaysia were using tourist visas, he said.