RI workers go beserk after being stranded in Malaysia

JAKARTA (JP): Almost 1,800 Indonesian illegal workers stranded for a week at a Johor Baru port in Malaysia ran amok on Sunday and broke the windows of a construction office and other office equipment.

Antara reported that the 1,780 workers at the Pasir Gudang seaport were angry that a Malaysian travel agent, Mekar Jingga Tetanik, broke its promise to transport them home early last week.

"They pledged to send us back home on the luxurious ship Tanjung Oisina but the travel agent which arranged the transportation with the Armed Forces Foundation (Yamabi) failed to keep its promise," an unidentified worker said.

He said he and most of the illegal workers had waited at the seaport for seven days but no effort was made to transport them to Indonesia. Some workers were with their families.

Bachrum Subardjo, the labor attache in Indonesia's Johar Baru consulate, said he failed to persuade the workers not to take taking destructive action because they had lost their patience over the travel agency's lies and poor service during their stay at the seaport.

Antara reported that the travel agency had canceled its contract with Indonesia's Armed Forces Foundation which operated the ship.

The workers are the last batch of the 160,000 Malaysia wants deported to Indonesia for entering the country illegally.

They were allowed to return without punishment after the government announced an amnesty for them on its recent Independence Day. Malaysia extended the grace period until Oct. 31, 1999, in an effort to give all illegal foreign workers time to apply.

Bachrum said the travel agent "should be blacklisted for disappointing the prospective passengers".

"This has led them to damage the building where the travel agency has office," he said.

He added that besides breaking the glass, the workers also damaged computers and a ticketing office.

He said the travel ageny should be held responsible for the workers' actions after transporting them to Indonesia.

Antara reported that the travel agent had signed a new contract with another shipping company in Malaysia to transport the workers.

Bachrum said that he had made a contact with the travel agency and the latter promised to transport the workers home on a new ship.

"According to the travel agent, the workers are scheduled to be transported on a new ship this (Sunday) evening," he said.

The workers have paid the travel agency between 280 ringgit and 300 ringgit for the one-way trip. (rms)