Orphaned Child of Indonesian Migrant Worker in Malaysia Repatriated to Lombok

Muhammad Adam, a nine-year-old boy, was forced to live alone in Malaysia after both his parents passed away. West Nusa Tenggara (NTB) Governor Lalu Muhamad Iqbal stated that the case began 13 years ago when Adam’s mother, Megawati, a resident of Mataram, migrated to Malaysia. She was an undocumented migrant worker. Adam’s father died two years ago, and his mother passed away on 15 May 2026 at Hospital Kuala Lumpur from disseminated pulmonary tuberculosis.

Following a report of Megawati’s illness, the NTB Manpower and Transmigration Office coordinated with the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur. After the mother’s death, Adam was left in the care of a fellow undocumented Indonesian migrant worker named Sumiati. Once bureaucratic processes, family verification, and emergency travel documents were completed, Adam was flown home on Saturday, 13 June 2026, via Batik Air Malaysia flight OD 366. He was accompanied during the flight by the Head of the NTB Manpower and Transmigration Office, Pradiptha Himawan Putra.

Governor Iqbal described the case as a harsh lesson, emphasising that the provincial government’s responsibility does not end with the child’s return. The Head of the NTB Manpower and Transmigration Office, Aidy Furqan, explained that the repatriation costs were covered by the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, while the NTB provincial government facilitated the child’s return to his family in Lombok. Adam is currently staying with his grandmother and relatives in the Pejeruk sub-district. The government plans to monitor his situation closely over the coming weeks and is coordinating with the Social Affairs Office to secure his future, with a focus on ensuring he can continue his education, possibly through a state-run school programme or placement in an orphanage if the family agrees.