Rights body calls for tough action against KL employers

Rights body calls for tough action against KL employers

Tertiani ZB Simanjuntak and Edi Purwijayanta, The Jakarta Post,
Jakarta/Nunukan

The National Commission on Human Rights stepped in on Tuesday to
the row over the deportation of hundreds of thousands of illegal
Indonesian workers from Malaysia, urging the government of the
neighboring country to take action against its those of its
citizens who had employed them.

In a media statement released on Tuesday, the commission said
the Malaysian employers had not only taken advantage of the
migrant workers, who were not protected by the law, but had also
committed human rights violations for failing to pay them their
wages until they were deported.

"Migrant workers are human beings who support not only their
own families, but the whole economy of the country, particularly
at a time of unabated crisis," the statement said.

The rights body asserted the migrant workers deserved
protection and assistance from the government.

It regretted the lateness of moves by the central government
to mitigate the workers' hardship following their massive exodus
from Malaysia.

Thousands of migrant workers and their families remain
stranded in the East Kalimantan town of Nunukan near the border
with the Malaysian state of Sabah. An escalation of social and
health problems has been the immediate result of their arrival.

At least 72 people, including infants, have died so far in the
labor crisis according to non-governmental organizations. The
government has recorded only about 36 fatalities.

Humanitarian aid continues to pour into Nunukan, as over
13,000 workers are waiting for legal documents required to
reenter Malaysia.

Many private companies, media groups and non-governmental
organizations have sent staple food, baby food, clothing and
medicine via social workers, in addition to official government
aid worth Rp 34 billion (US$3.8 million).

A group of 40 state enterprises donated on Tuesday Rp 42
billion to the workers. State Minister for State Enterprises
Laksamana Sukardi, who witnessed the handover of assistance, said
he would assess the possibility of opening up oil palm
plantations in the border island in order to employ the deported
workers.

But distribution of the aid was still being questioned as many
of the migrant workers sheltering at the manpower supply
companies (PJTKIs) still complained of inadequate meals and
accommodation.

Although no fatalities were reported in the day, the number of
migrant workers suffering respiratory problems, diarrhea and
malnutrition has yet to lessen due to poor sanitation and a lack
of clean water at the shelters.

Within two days of their arrival, a Navy warship, converted
into a floating hospital, had to abort its operation because low
tide did not allow it to drop anchor in Tukon Taka harbor.
Instead, it unloaded supplies and equipment into the harbor's
compound.

The 'field hospital' has began treating migrant workers as
well as locals, as the sheer number of people now in the regency
is beyond the capability of the only health center in the town.

The migrant workers sheltered in a field at Porsas, close to
Nunukan airport, refused to be moved to the semipermanent
barracks at Tanjung Mambunut camp site near the coast, which can
only be reached after a 40-minute drive.

"The place is too remote from downtown, while transportation
is difficult. We're afraid the process for getting our passports
will be made more difficult as we often have to visit the
downtown offices," one of the workers argued.

The latest information coming from the regency's task force
estimated that a further massive influx of deported migrant
workers was expected by this weekend, a few days before Malaysia
enacted its new labor bill on Sept. 15.