Officials 'lying' about returning workers

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.