RI migrant workers lost in Malaysia

RI migrant workers lost in Malaysia

MATARAM, West Nusa Tenggara: The whereabouts of at least 135
Indonesian migrant workers from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara, who
left for Malaysia two years ago, remains unknown.

The departure of the workers was sponsored by East Lombok's
Marakit Taklimat Islamic boarding school or pesantren, with each
receiving a Rp 2.5 million allotment derived from local Bank
Syariah loans.

Hazmi Hamzar, head of the pesantren, said in Mataram on
Thursday that he had tried to detect the workers' whereabouts by
contacting the relevant labor recruitment agency, but the latter
claimed to have no knowledge of their workplaces abroad.

He said at least 40 of the lost workers now believed to be in
Malaysia had never communicated with their relatives by mail or
phone, making it difficult to settle the bank credits.

"The government should therefore provide funds for migrant
workers, instead of merely expecting large remittances from them
every year," Hamzar added. --Antara