Indonesia Illegal Workers Return Home

The Jakarta Post
Friday, April 29, 2005

Fadli, The Jakarta Post, Tanjung Pinang

Some 184 Indonesian illegal workers arrived back in Indonesia at the Sri Bintan Pura International Port in Tanjung Pinang, Riau Islands province on Thursday from Malaysia.

The workers, who were jailed by Malaysian authorities for not having proper immigration documents, arrived at the port at 2:30 p.m.

One of the illegal workers, Udin Batubara, 36, said he was arrested by Malaysian police on Oct. 10 last year because he did not have documents to legally work as a construction worker in Kedah.

"I was whipped once on my thigh. It was really painful, but I'll be going back to Malaysia. Working there is better than in Indonesia. I'll get my immigration documents first," said the native of Tanjung Balai, Asahan in North Sumatra, who first came to Malaysia in 1993.

Udin claimed he went to Malaysia for the first time using a social visit visa, instead of obtaining a working permit.

Another returning illegal worker, Alam, a 24-year-old native of Makassar in South Sulawesi, said he was arrested in January this year for not having a permit to work in Malaysia.

"I work as a tradesman in the furniture industry in Johor. The salary isn't much, only RM 40 per day. I had only worked there a month when I was arrested," said Alam, claiming that he felt deceived by the manpower company that had sent him there with promises of a big salary.

"I don't want to go back to Malaysia," said Alam, who said he has no money left to get back to his hometown.

Similar sentiments also came from Sumarli, a 22-year-old mother of a baby girl who was born when she was in the Pokok Sena Prison.

The native of Lampung claimed she arrived in Malaysia in mid 2004, without a work permit.

"My baby was born in the prison. My husband was also arrested for not having work permit. I'll never go back there. Living in the prison is so sad. I was beaten and my belongings that we bought from working there could not be taken home," Sumarli said.

Head of the immigration traffic section at Tanjung Pinang Immigration Office, Yhon Rizal Yohannis, said Thursday's arrivals was the biggest return of illegal Indonesian workers who had completed serving their time in Malaysian prisons.

Previously, some 148 deported Indonesian illegal immigrants arrived on April 15, 69 more on April 17, 32 on April 22 and 114 on April 27.

"The workers arrive here by using the MV Sentosa ship, usually on Thursdays. Their trips back home are paid for, up to Tanjung Priok Port (in Jakarta) along with food money. But they're not given money, everything is arranged by the ship's agent trusted by the Malaysian government," Yhon said.

He said that many Indonesian workers continues to go to Malaysia despite the threat of deportation. His office, he added, had recorded hundreds of Indonesian workers who had gone back to Malaysia without proper documents.