One-stop slowdown

One-stop slowdown

The tantalizing promise held out to the undocumented foreign
workers from Indonesia was that if they accepted the amnesty and
returned to their homeland voluntarily before the Feb. 28
deadline, they would not only be allowed to come back to work in
this country legally but also that this would be done speedily.

But the unfortunate reality is that this fast-track has not
materialized. In its place are procedures which seem to be
administered at a snail's pace. As a result, out of the hundreds
of thousands of illegal Indonesian workers who have been
repatriated, a mere 500 have made it back to Malaysia.

Malaysian employers desperately want them back and the
Indonesians want to return. Yet thousands are still waiting
anxiously for permission in the holding camps. This drawn-out
process in getting Indonesian labor has badly hit the
construction industry and plantations in particular.

Whatever the reasons may be, it is clear that this
administrative snarl should not be allowed to continue because of
its detrimental effects on all the affected parties. The
challenge for both the Malaysian and Indonesian Governments is to
quickly bring this farce to an end and devise effective measures
to ensure that the recruitment of workers is done without
consuming too much time or money.
-- New Straits Times, Kuala Lumpur