Ramos shows support for workers in KL

Ramos shows support for workers in KL

MANILA (Agencies): President Fidel Ramos yesterday leapt to
the support of Filipino migrant workers arrested in Malaysia and
ordered Foreign Secretary Roberto Romulo to take up measures to
protect them with the Malaysian government.

Romulo is to discuss the issue with his Malaysian counterpart,
Abdullah Ahmad Badawi, when they meet in the Indonesian capital
Jakarta tomorrow for an Asia-Pacific Economic Cooperation (APEC)
ministerial conference.

Romulo will discuss setting up grievance mechanisms, access to
the more than 300 migrant workers rounded up last month and the
lack of identification cards acceptable to Malaysia, Ramos told
his weekly news conference.

Senator Blas Ople, chairman of the Senate foreign relations
committee, earlier urged Ramos to reopen the issue of Manila's
territorial claim to the east Malaysian state of Sabah in
retaliation for October's round-up.

Ramos has criticized the arrests, saying the Filipinos were
not criminals. Kuala Lumpur refused to apologize in a note sent
to the Philippine government on Monday, saying it was necessary
to arrest workers violating its immigration laws.

The round-up, the second after Filipino maids were detained in
Kuala Lumpur last March, has worsened often tense relations
between the two partners in the Association of Southeast Asian
Nations.

Meanwhile, Romulo indicated on Tuesday that the Philippines is
not satisfied with Malaysia's response to its protest over the
arrest of more than 300 Filipino maids in Kuala Lumpur last
month.

Reading from a prepared statement, Romulo told reporters,
"While I appreciate the Malaysian response, which came 10 days
after the Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur filed our note, I
will nonetheless continue an intensified discussion with the
Malaysian government on this matter."

Warning

Although refusing to state categorically that Manila was not
satisfied with Kuala Lumpur's reply, Romulo warned reporters
before he read the statement "to read my body English" and when
reading it gave particular emphasis to the phrases "10 days
after" and "intensified discussion."

The Philippine Embassy in Kuala Lumpur formally filed the
protest with the Malaysian Foreign Ministry on Oct. 28 and
received a reply on Monday.

In its reply, Malaysia said the Oct. 23 arrests were carried
out to check on foreigners suspected of contravening Malaysian
immigration laws and foreign workers suspected of deserting their
original employers, thereby violating immigration rules, as well
as to ensure that they are not mistreated or abused by private
employment agencies.

Malaysia also said that such operations are not directed
toward any particular foreign community.

Noting the difficulty encountered by the Philippine Embassy in
obtaining information on the detained Filipino nationals and
gaining access to them, Foreign Ministry officials suggested that
practical measures be taken to ensure access to Filipinos
detained in Malaysia.

"I am convinced that in the spirit of ASEAN amity and
cooperation, the details of such measures can be worked out
during the second meeting of the Philippines-Malaysia Joint
Commission on Bilateral Cooperation," Romulo said. The meeting
will be held in Kuala Lumpur on Jan. 24-27, 1995.