RI Migrant Workers in Singapore Hold Entrepreneurship Seminar

TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The country’s migrant workers under the Indonesian Diaspora Network-United (IDN-U) and the Indonesian Community Communication Forum in Singapore (FKMIS) held a seminar on entrepreneurship development in Singapore on Saturday, November 24. 

The seminar was aimed at inspiring and educating Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) to be entrepreneurs post-retirement.

Indonesian Deputy Chief of Mission to Singapore Didik Eko Pudjianto said the public should develop demand-driven businesses. “PMI should start by acknowledging the needs in their respective areas. Know them first and start from there. We do not have to start a business on a national scale or for export,” Didik noted.

The first speaker of the seminar, Muhamad "Diko" Shodiq, seconded Didik’s statement. Diko successfully built a cracker factory in his hometown of Malang after observing public demands. “There is a high demand for crackers in Malang. I built one factory a year ago then expand it into three factories and employ more than a hundred people,” he recalled. 

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Meanwhile, Eni Gandasari, a former PMI who has worked for 15 years, told her struggle in running a coffee business. “I have been downed many times, but I still keep my spirit. Now, I’m focused in the coffee business and win an award as a high-achieving medium enterprise (UKM),” she admitted.

Two other speakers, Theresia Kurniawan from Development Group and Sisi Sukiato from HOME, presented skill-training and entrepreneurship development initiated by the two institutions for Indonesian migrant workers in Singapore.

The program was designed to develop 3Cs: Competence, Confidence, Connected, which were expected to prepare migrant workers to engage in the business world.

The migrant workers, who hail from several regions, including Java, West Nusa Tenggara, and Sulawesi, actively participated in the seminar. They shared their business experiences and discussed which business they would run in their hometowns. The participants hoped such a seminar could be regularly established, and that discussions on funding and marketing strategies were held in the next sessions.

TEMPO.CO