Susilo greets returning migrant workers

Fadli and Puji Santoso, The Jakarta Post/Tanjung Pinang/Dumai

In a show of sympathy, President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono greeted on Wednesday undocumented migrant workers who had returned to the country from Malaysia via major entry points in Riau and neighboring Riau Islands provinces.

Local officials ushered the president upon his arrival to a hall in a Tanjung Pinang center to meet some 200 migrant workers who had been waiting for him.

"To our labor heroes returning from Malaysia, welcome back. I am here to see for myself whether you faced any problems on your way home," the President told the workers.

Susilo said the migrant workers deserved the government's appreciation for helping to curb unemployment and for their struggle to make a living in a foreign country.

"Migrant workers have helped the government, as you have reduced the number of open unemployment, which currently stands at 10.3 million," Susilo said.

With an estimated 700,000 workers repatriating from Malaysia, Susilo said his administration would have to tackle a more serious unemployment problem.

Susilo led a high-powered delegation to draw up repatriation management plans comprising Coordinating Minister for Political, Legal and Security Affairs Widodo A.S., Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Alwi Shihab, Minister of Social Services Bachtiar Chamsyah, Minister of Home Affairs M. Ma'ruf, Minister of Transportation Hatta Radjasa, Minister of Health Siti Fadila Supari, Minister of Foreign Affairs Hassan Wirayuda, National Police Chief Da'i Bachtiar and Cabinet Secretary Sudi Silalahi.

The mass repatriation follows Malaysia's decision to provide amnesty to illegal workers in view of the approaching Idul Fitri holiday, if they left by Nov. 14.

However, only some 9,000 of 400,000 Indonesian illegal workers have responded to the amnesty offer, raising concerns among the two neighboring governments.

The Riau Islands has already received 4,018 returning workers.

While the government is seeking measures to tackle unemployment issues that would ensue from the repatriation, including a resettlement program, the president said Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Fahmi Idris, who is now in Kuala Lumpur, would ask Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to accept the workers back when they had obtained proper documents.

Meanwhile, in Dumai, a number of arriving migrant workers spoke to Susilo about the discriminatory treatment and abuse they had endured from their Malaysian employers regarding leave and wages.

Sahrosa of Jambi said many Malaysian employers paid Indonesian migrant workers much less than those from the Philippines and other countries.

"They paid Filipino workers up to 2,000 ringgit a month, but only gave us one fifth of that amount," said the 26-year-old woman, who worked for a shopkeeper for almost two years.

Illegal Indonesian workers, most of whom are unskilled, are typically employed in the construction, plantation and service sectors.

Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Rusdihardjo said workers from the Philippines were paid higher wages because they could speak English and had technological skills.

Susilo promised to ask Kuala Lumpur to improve labor conditions on behalf of the interests of Indonesian workers there.

Meanwhile, hundreds of migrant workers entered Surabaya on Wednesday through Juanda Airport and Tanjung Perak port, becoming the first workers to arrive in East Java from Malaysia.