Workers continue to go to Malaysia

Workers continue to go to Malaysia

PALEMBANG, South Sumatra: Despite Malaysia's decision to sharply reduce the number of Indonesian workers, South Sumatra continues to send laborers to the neighboring country, a provincial manpower official said.

Some 85 male and 69 female workers left South Sumatra to work in Malaysia last month, said Surya Darma, chief of the South Sumatra manpower office, on Thursday.

He said many Malaysian businessmen preferred to employ workers from South Sumatra as, although unskilled, they were known to be diligent and disciplined.

South Sumatrans wishing to work in Malaysia are required to undergo a strict selection process and therefore none of them had ever been repatriated from Malaysia because of discipline problems or incompetence, he said.

Surya hoped the sending of workers to Malaysia through official channels could continue without hindrance so as to help lower the high rate of unemployment in South Sumatra. -- Antara