1 Juni 2007
Malaysia`s Information Minister Dato Seri Zainudin Bin Maidin when meeting East Java Governor Imam Utomo in Surabaya on Monday (May 31) said, his country still needs Indonesian migrant workers and therefore would keep trying to improve their welfare and wages.
Jakarta - The recent visit of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono to Malaysia has brought good news to both countries especially in solving the problems of a great number of Indonesian migrant workers in the neigbouring country.
In a bid to solve the problems, the two leaders had taken appropriate measures, including stepping up efforts of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to provide the migrant workers with the necessary working documents.
The countries, of course, need each other. Indonesia with its great number of migrant workers, certainly needs Malaysia`s help which not only in the country`s interest but also in Malaysia`s favour as they could do their best by working hard at Malaysian companies.
Malaysia`s Information Minister Dato Seri Zainudin Bin Maidin when meeting East Java Governor Imam Utomo in Surabaya on Monday (May 31) said, his country still needs Indonesian migrant workers and therefore would keep trying to improve their welfare and wages.
Besides the industrial sector, Indonesian migrant workers were also needed in stores, plantations, building constructions and as domestic helpers.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono asked his government personnel to give better attention and services to Indonesian migrant workers as they have contributed to the country`s foreign exchange earnings.
"I have often reminded our ambassadors to give serious attention to our manpower issues. They (migrant workers) are not only part of the solution, but at the same time they are also foreign exchange heroes. Therefore, we are obliged to give adequate protection and services to our brothers/sisters (migrant workers)," the President said at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Tuesday.
On the occasion, the Head of State also asked immigration office and foreign ministry personnel to give their services to the workers as good as possible.
"I am not happy to see officers asking for tips from migrant workers, while instead they should give them good services. But, thank God, such practices have been stopped and must not be repeated, not only here (in Malaysia), but also other countries," he said.
The President, who was accompanied by First Lady Ani Yudhoyono and several cabinet ministers, said that he has paid a lot of attention to Indonesians working abroad since the early days of his administration.
Meanwhile, AM Fachir, Indonesian Charge d`Affaires at the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, said that some 2,000 Indonesian workers came to the embassy daily asking for various immigration services. However, the embassy has only 15 staff members and several volunteers to serve them.
According to him, ideally the embassy has 60 staff members to serve the workers properly. Another problem was the fact the embassy had limited space to accommodate Indonesian workers queuing for immigration services.
The President responded that he had asked Foreign Affairs Minister Hassan Wirajuda and Finance Minister Sri Mulyani to solve the embassy`s space and personnel problems.
He said that the most important thing is that the embassy should be able to provide faster, cheaper, easier and better services to the migrant workers.
Apart from working in the industrial sector, Indonesian migrant workers were also needed in stores, plantations, construction buildings, and as domestic helpers.
Wages
The Malaysian minister in the meeting stressed the importance of improving the workers` wages. An Indonesian worker earned about 2,800 ringgits each month.
In the meeting, the Malaysian minister and the East Java Governor also discussed issues on economic cooperation, trade and education.
Yudhoyono in his brief message, asserted the government`s commitment to help solve the various problems facing Indonesian nationals and migrant workers in Malaysia.
"If you have a problem, our embassy and consulate here would help you," Yudhoyono told the Indoneisan nationals at the embassy.
The president also said that he had asked Malaysian Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi to give good service and protection to Indonesian nationals working in Malaysia.
To the Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia, Yudhoyono warned they had to abide by the rules and regulations in that country, and if they had a problem, they should immediately report it to the embassy or consulate.
President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has called for continued communication between Indonesian and Malaysian workers` unions with a view to developing healthy, productive and competitive industrial relations in the current global era.
Indonesian Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Erman Suparno said the president made the call at a meeting between leaders of the two countries` workers` unions here on Monday.
"The president in his directives called for the continuation of the communication," he said after the meeting.
Erman said the meeting between the two countries` workers` unions that day was the first of its kind.
He said the president hoped the leaders of the two countries` workers` unions could share and exchange information, experience and vision on how to develop healthy, productive and competitive industrial relations.
The minister said with regard to improving the investment climate, the government had not only talked with employers but also with leaders of workers` unions to the sharing of social responsibilities.
He said he planned also to meet leaders of workers` unions of other countries that would invest in Indonesia to let them know about the manpower condition in the country and "to avoid the impression that our workers are no good or anarchic.
Such impression is not true. It is a mere case by case and partial incident. That is the aim of the meeting, namely exchange of experience," he said.
Erman pointed out that the president of the Malaysian Trade Union Council, Syed Shahir, on the occasion expressed his wish to take part in responding to the problems facing the migrant workers in Malaysia especially from Indonesia with regard.
"The MTUC would support and talk with the Malaysian government to settle cases faced by Indonesian migrant workers especially illegal ones," he said.
Minister Erman said he had met with the Malaysian minister for domestic affairs and had agreed to the imposition of legal sanctions on employers who hired illegal workers.
Regarding the handling of Indonesian illegal workers by Malaysian "Rela" officers, he said they had agreed that in the future Rela officers had to be accompanied by immigration officers and policemen when dealing with the workers so that they would not arbitrarily arrest the workers.
"We have also asked for legal action against Rela officers that had confiscated the Indonesian workers` belongings and other inhuman acts by the officers. They agreed. Such acts had to be dealt with legally," he said.
The government seemed to realize that the better the protection given to the migrant workers, the more foreign exchange would flow to the country. (*)
By Bustanuddin
