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