Opinion and Editorial - June 21, 2007
Indonesian migrant worker Ceriyati's name might mean "cheerful" but her life has not lived up to the promise.
The 33-year-old housemaid made headlines this week when she climbed out of a 12th-story apartment building window in Kuala Lumpur in an attempt to elude her employer, who she said was physically and mentally abusive.
Photographs of her clinging to a rope made out of bedsheets, high above the ground, say much about the poor working conditions she was so desperate to escape. There are thousands more like her overseas, but many of them are too afraid to speak up.
That Ceriyati finally went it alone and risked her life for freedom speaks volumes about the lack of protection afforded to her by both her home and host countries.
Her plight was a familiar story, one common to the many women who at home are dubbed "foreign exchange heroines" for their contributions to state revenues.
Indonesian domestic workers overseas frequently suffer from abuse. Some have taken the law into their own hands, and were sentenced to death for the murders of their employees.
Every so often, the issue blows up in the media, non-governmental organizations advocating protection for migrant workers blame the government and politicians demand that no more women be sent overseas. In reaction, the government then pushes the receiving countries to improve working conditions and treatment for the women.
A new memorandum of understanding is signed by the Indonesian government and the offending country, and then the issue goes away -- until the next case of abuse surfaces.
But even the law on the placement and protection of migrant workers, which came into effect three years ago, has had little impact on the day-to-day lives of Indonesian migrant workers.
Still fresh in our minds is the image of then president Megawati Soekarnoputri giving a red-carpet welcome to former migrant worker Nirmala Bonet at the state palace, a move meant to demonstrate Jakarta's concern at Kuala Lumpur's failure to protect migrant workers. Photographs of the horrific abuse Nirmala suffered at the hands of her employer were circulated around the world.
A series of meetings between senior officials of the two countries followed to address the issue, but a deal was not reached until last year, when Megawati's successor, Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono, met with Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi for talks focusing on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, particularly the 200,000 employed in the informal sector.
A landmark memorandum of understanding concerning the placement of Indonesian migrant workers and the requirements for them to qualify for jobs in the informal sector in Malaysia was signed following the meeting.
But for many observers, the agreement is no more than just another piece of paper, as reports continue to flow in of the abuse of Indonesian maids.
Migrant Care, an Indonesian NGO advocating for basic rights for the country's migrant workers, has found that Indonesian maids are paid far less than their counterparts from the Philippines, despite often having more work and longer hours.
Apart from the absence of protective legislation, the maids also lack many of the major skills that are currently in demand, leaving them with little bargaining power when it comes to wages.
Few labor export companies have invested in training for migrant workers. Those that do run short courses before sending their hopeful workers overseas, but the drills are really only a formality.
The government has revoked the licenses of several countries for failing to provide proper training for job seekers, but the general perception is still that the government does not care a great deal about supervision. It only takes a stand when abuse becomes highly publicized.
How could Ceriyati and her fellow workers expect for protection if those responsible are busy enriching themselves by abusing their power?
The delicate issue of the migrant workers will only be settled when the government is able to create enough jobs for its 90-million-strong workforce. But that should not justify the lack of hard measures in place to protect those have gone overseas.
They do not need to be seen as heroes. They just need a minimum of care and protection.
