May 28, 2007
The weather was cool in Sukorejo, Jember regency. The rain left a scent of wet earth and water dripped from the trees in this village some 160 kilometers from Surabaya.
In a modest house at the edge of the village, Ginah, 53, and her family waited for news from Mardiyah, her daughter who is now being detained in Saudi Arabia.
"Mardiyah sent me a letter saying she will be executed," Ginah told The Jakarta Post.
It's still unclear why she is being detained or what charges she faces.
Mardiyah is Ginah's second child with the late Karsono. The 38-year-old Mardiyah elected to go to Saudi Arabia for work in 1999.
"Mardiyah has to support her only child and family in Sukorejo since her divorce," said Ginah.
The move made Mardiyah the family's breadwinner. She sent home at least Rp 6 million (US$660) monthly to pay school fees for Muhammad Taufik, her only child, and to meet the daily needs of her mother. The remaining money went toward building a house next to her parents' in Sukorejo village.
Mardiyah came back to Indonesia in 2002, but she did not feel at home. Later that year she returned to Saudi Arabia to work.
"But she did not stay long and returned home only after six months in Saudi Arabia; I don't know why," said Mardiyah's younger brother, Zainuri.
In early 2003, Mardiyah decided to go to Saudi Arabia again through the PT Baham Putra Abadi employment agency, located in Cipinang Muara, East Jakarta. After that, her family never heard from her again.
One evening in early May a friend of Mardiyah's sent a text message. "Mardiyah's friend said my daughter was arrested by the Saudi Arabia police," said Ginah.
Ginah became further worried when Mardiyah sent three letters to her under the name Sa'diyah Ahmad, saying she was being detained at the New Al Riwais Briman prison in Jeddah, Saudi Arabia.
Several of Ginah's neighbors who have also been migrant workers in Saudi Arabia said Mardiyah would face death by stoning.
"I'm scared... the only thought on my mind now is for her to return home," said Ginah.
With help from Mochamad Cholily of the East Java Migrant Workers Union (SBMI), Ginah and Zainuri reported the case to the Jember Manpower Office, but got no immediate response.
"The office head was not present during the two meetings we had with the manpower office," said Cholily, adding that the local manpower office should have responded by sending a letter to the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia.
Cholily then decided to meet with the deputy head for Indonesian Migrant Worker Protection for the Middle East, Marjono, in Jakarta. Marjono promised to urge Mardiyah's employment agency to provide mediation in Saudi Arabia.
"Marjono also asked the Jember Manpower Office and Mardiyah's family to send a letter to the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia about the matter," said Cholily.
A number of regencies in East Java, such as Trenggalek, Tulungagung, Banyuwangi, Malang and Jember are known as providers of female migrant workers overseas.
Around 1.2 million Indonesians are working as housemaids, drivers, gardeners and machine operators at mining sites in Saudi Arabia, with some 40,000 having overstayed their visits or being without the requisite documents.
(ID Nugroho)
