Thousands of Indonesian illegal workers live in uncertainty in Malaysia

Thousands of Indonesian illegal workers live in uncertainty in Malaysia

News Desk
The Jakarta Post
Publication Date : 23-10-2010


An estimated 10,000 illegal workers from Indonesia have lived in uncertainty in Malaysia as they have no official documents and records to enter and work in the neighbouring country, Indonesiand deputy speaker of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Legislative Council Anselmus Tallo said on Friday (October 22).

"The workers who mostly come from East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) live in Setiawan District of Perak Malaysia and have no official records and documents so that they are categorised as illegal workers," Anselmus said in Kupang as quoted by the state Antara news agency.

Anselmus made the remarks after a missionary from Chinese Metodhist Church Manjung Malaysia, Grace Lee, together with Pastor Otniel Dani Liu and missionaries of Jakarta Christian Church (GKJ) visited the council to testify about the condition of the Nusa Tenggara people who are working illegally in Malaysia in front of the councillors.

The Malaysian missionaries often helped the illegal workers in the Malaysian forests, especially those who received harassment that caused them to suffer from illnesses and even to die, Anselmus said.

In front of the councillors, Grace Lee displayed videos and photographs of the handling of the illegal workers, especially from NTT, in the Malaysian forests.

The documentations depicted the efforts of Grace Lee in helping the workers. There were a number of the workers, who had to be amputated and operated as well. Aside of handling the injured, Grace Lee also took care of the dead workers.

One of the illegal workers, Ambros Seran, who was injured in an accident, was brought back to NTT. His right arm had to be amputated as he fell down from a speeding motorcycle when he was chased by the Malaysian police.

A GKJ missionary, Rudolf Latuihamalo, asked the councillors and NTT administration to give assurance to the job seekers to properly process requirements to become migrant workers overseas.

"Becoming illegal workers is very risky, because the employers tend to be irresponsible," Rudolf said.

The workers, however, choose to work illegally in Malaysia due to the difficult and arduous procedures in the administration and registration processing, he said, adding that the cost for passport administration alone could reach 2 million rupiah to 3 million rupiah each.

They mostly lived in the camps deep in the Malaysian forests, he added.