RI migrant workers want to return to Malaysia, legally

RI migrant workers want to return to Malaysia, legally

Apriadi Gunawan, The Jakarta Post, Medan

Rini Sulistiya, an Indonesian illegal migrant worker from the
West Java town of Cirebon, has been in Medan for the past month
after arriving from Malaysia.

The 27-year-old preferred not to return to her hometown,
remaining in Medan to arrange the necessary documents she needed
to work again in Malaysia. This time, legally.

In the past, she was frequently pursued by Malaysian
authorities but now she says that she has learned her lesson.

She said she wanted to return to Malaysia through the proper
channels. Her husband of 10 years, Suprapto, is still working
there. Her two children are staying with her parents in Cirebon.

"I want to go back and work in Malaysia so that I can see my
husband again. He asked me to return after getting the required
documents to avoid being chased around by the Malaysian police,"
Rini told The Jakarta Post at the one-stop service at the
immigration office in the port-city of Belawan, near Medan.

Indonesia and Malaysia jointly launched the one-stop service
that requires Indonesian migrant workers to pay a Rp 3 million
(US$320) fee to obtain all the necessary documents to work
legally in Malaysia.

Malaysian authorities will start a massive crackdown on
illegal immigrants on March 1.

After initially offering a three-month amnesty, which ended
Jan. 31, 2005, Malaysia delayed the raids to allow the Indonesian
government time to concentrate on the handling of the earthquake
and tsunami disaster that devastated Nanggroe Aceh Darussalam and
parts of North Sumatra on Dec. 26.

Rini hoped that working legally in Malaysia would be more
beneficial for her. As an illegal worker, she was paid less than
those legally employed even though they worked in the same
company.

For instance, she said that an illegal worker was paid RM550
(Rp1.3 million) a month at a cleaning service company, compared
to about RM700 for a legal worker.

"As an illegal worker, I'm always worried about my safety. I
always feel insecure, fearing being caught by the authorities.
But legal worker can sleep soundly," Rini said.

Rahmat Saleh from Surabaya said he had been working illegally
for the past three years in a restaurant at a hotel in Kuala
Lumpur.

The feelings of insecurity, he said, came mostly after work,
when he had to avoid routine raids on illegal workers conducted
by the Malaysian police.

"There's no problem with the pay. I get RM700 per month. But I
must get around quietly, even to my house, to avoid being caught
by the police," said the 31-year-old who intends to return and
work legally in Malaysia.

He has been back in Indonesia for the past two weeks. However,
Rahman did not visit his hometown of Ngagel Rejo, Surabaya.

Along with other workers, he remained in Medan to organize the
necessary documents at the one-stop service in Belawan -- which
started operating on Wednesday -- so as to get back to Malaysia
as quickly as possible.

Indonesian workers wishing to work legally in Malaysia have
been complaining about the costly fees set by the government to
process their passports, work permits, transportation and other
services.

"The fees are too high for us," Rini said.

More fortunate workers, she said, have signed work contracts
with their employers in Malaysia who have given them money to pay
for the immigration expenses. But, she added, the money is more
often in the form of a debt that has to be paid back through
salary deductions once the workers return to work.

Syopiah from Bangkalan, East Java, for instance, would have to
pay her employer RM200 a month to pay back the loan so she could
register as a legal worker.

The mother of one said she had been placed in a factory in
Taming Jaya, Kuala Lumpur, with a monthly salary of RM800.

Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia, Roesdiharjo, who observed
the registration procedures at the one-stop service in Belawan on
Wednesday, said the service would eventually be offered at 11
different places in Indonesia.

According to information from the immigration office, around
200 would-be migrant workers applied for new documents at the
one-stop service in Belawan on the first day of operation.

In response to complaints about the high fees, Roesdiharjo
said that, "As long as there is detailed breakdown of expenses
that can be justified, I don't think there's a problem".

He said there were at least 250,000 illegal Indonesian
immigrants still in Malaysia but expressed his optimism they
would return home before the amnesty deadline expires to arrange
their documents.