Thousands of Indonesian Workers in Malaysia Threatened with Deportation

TEMPO Interactive, Jakarta:The Indonesian government has protested against the plan to deport thousands of Indonesian illegal workers from Malaysia to Nunukan, East Kalimantan. The government has requested that Malaysia allow the workers to stay in Tawao and wait the government to pick them up and bring them home to Indonesia. I asked the Sabah government not to deport the workers to Nunukan, said Minister of Manpower and Transmigration, Jacob Nuwa Wea, after attending a working meeting with Commission VII of the House of Representatives (DPR) on Monday (2/3). In order to discuss this matter, the minister and some members of DPR Commission VII will visit Malaysia. As previously reported, about 50,000 Indonesian workers are threatened with deportation from Malaysia. They are considered to be illegal workers for not having job orders, although they do all hold legal passports. The workers were deported in August last year for the same reason. They then stayed in Nunukan for some months before returning to Malaysia without job orders. Rekso Ageng Herman, a member of House Commission VII, has said that the government--andespecially Coordinating Minister for Peoples Welfare Jusuf Kalla--should take responsibility for handling the case. Previously, he said, the government provided facilities so that the illegal workers staying in Nunukan could apply for passport. The policy was introduced because the government was unable to handle the problems of the thousands of workers who were staying in Nunukan. Eventually, they went back to Malaysia seeking work again. Jacob has protested that up to now, Malaysia has not signed the MoU proposed by Indonesia. However, we will urge the government, he said. Jacob said Indonesia and Malaysia have not reached agreement on some important points. For instance, Malaysia wants to recruit Indonesian workers directly. I dont agree with this. [Indonesia] is an independent country. How could Malaysia recruit [its workers] directly, said Jacob. (Retno Sulistyowati --- Tempo News Room)