The return of Indonesia's illegals

The return of Indonesia's illegals

Hundreds of thousands of illegal Indonesian workers -- most
are unskilled, cheap laborers -- are being hunted down by
Malaysian security personnel. They will be repatriated to
Indonesia after they receive corporal punishment.

The misery faced by the Indonesian workers is likely to be
compounded once they find out that the unemployment rate in their
own country is rising do dizzying heights. Large numbers of
foreign companies plan to relocate their businesses to Cambodia,
Vietnam and China -- hundreds already have -- places they regard
as more competitive business climates.

One of the foreign investors who will relocate their
businesses to Vietnam is Matsushita, the Japanese electronics
giant which has been operating in Indonesia for the past three
decades.

It is thus very crucial that Indonesia now begins improving
its educational system nationwide so as to produce skilled human
resources.

Nevertheless, the Indonesian workers deserve recognition as
economic fighters, as they have been remitting foreign exchange
to their home country.

To improve the perception of Indonesia's human resources, the
country should be more selective in sending Indonesian workers
overseas.

-- Bisnis Indonesia, Jakarta