ID :
152227
Sat, 12/04/2010 - 08:50
Auther :
Shortlink :
https://oananews.org//node/152227
The shortlink copeid
News Focus : RI MIGRANT WORKERS NEED TO BE BETTER PREPARED
By Ageng Wibowo
Jakarta, Dec 3 (ANTARA) - The fact that Indonesia as one of the most populous countries in the world is routinely sending migrant workers abroad to work in the informal sector is like the proverbial coin and its two sides.
On one side it shows that Indonesians are hard workers and willing to work overseas to feed their families at home, but on the other side, the huge number of migrant workers also often creates major problems related to their lack of skills.
While many migrant workers have been successful in improving their economic status in their home towns by their remittances that contribute to their hometowns' prosperity', others proved unable to taste the sweet fruits of their overseas employment.
The latest examples of unfortunate migrant workers, were the cases of Sumiyati and Kikim Komalasari who were mistreated by their employers in Saudi Arabia. Sumiyati had her lips removed after being beaten with blunt objects and Kikim whose dead body was found in public garbage dump.
Waves of public indignation arose in Indonesia as soon as the two cases were reported by the media. The public anger was amongst others voiced by a group calling themselves Solidaritas Pemuda Indonesia untuk TKI/Spion TKI (Indonesian Youths Solidarity for Migrant Workers).
Members of the group showed their solidarity by throwing rocks and women's sanitary napkins at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Jakarta on November 18, 2010.
Although the Indonesian government had sent a team to Saudi Arabia to investigate the two workers' cases and take possible legal action to defend their rights, manifestations of public anger did not stop.
Actually abuse or mistratement of migrant workers had happened before the Sumiati and Kikim Komalasari cases. The media still have in their files the cases of Nirmala Bonat in mid 2004, Ceriyati in 2007, Onis in May 2009, and Nuruk WIdayanti in June 2009 that took place in Malaysia.
These cases also considered as the Indonesian government's issue to reaffirm migrant workers dispatch regulation to any hosting countries.
The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry who were involved in the team of delegates for the recent Saudi Arabian migrant cases for further legal measures to the employers.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry's Migrant Worker Protection Director Tatang Budie Utama Razak, his institution has been coordinating with the Saudi Arabian authorities on the case.
Tatang also said that the delegates also received some positive assistance from the local police and law enforcer to take the outraged employers by conducting a search on the crime scenes and legal process.
Regarding the numbers of migrant workers, Tatang is recomending a legal preparation for the worker candidates, they must really understand the condition of their workplace overseas.
"Every migrant worker's risk can actually be minimized by a proper preparation and the legality of their documents, to obtain safety, comfort and protection from the government, where their condition can be monitored by the Indonesian representative," Tatang said.
These workers are also expected to provide knowledge and awareness to report any problems occurs to the local representatives, such as knowing person whose to call in state of emergency.
"Everything must be fixed from the begining of the preparation, the documents, recruitment and propper training process by legal agencies, and the employer's assignment should also clarified," he said.
The matter requires an intervention of all the stakeholders in the business, starting from the migrant workers recruitment and distribution agency (PJTKI), agents, government officials of the Menpower and Transmigration Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and other stakeholders.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono suggested that the government improve the implementation of procedures for sending Indonesian workers abroad. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Manpower and Transmigration Ministry and the Indonesian Labor Placement and Protection Agency (BNP2TKI) must work together to solve the problems.
"Call manpower recruitment agencies to consolidate and improve the migrant workers placement system. We must also restrict the sending of our workers abroad by implementing tighter selection based on skills, working certificate, school certificates and other necessary documents," he said. T.A050
Jakarta, Dec 3 (ANTARA) - The fact that Indonesia as one of the most populous countries in the world is routinely sending migrant workers abroad to work in the informal sector is like the proverbial coin and its two sides.
On one side it shows that Indonesians are hard workers and willing to work overseas to feed their families at home, but on the other side, the huge number of migrant workers also often creates major problems related to their lack of skills.
While many migrant workers have been successful in improving their economic status in their home towns by their remittances that contribute to their hometowns' prosperity', others proved unable to taste the sweet fruits of their overseas employment.
The latest examples of unfortunate migrant workers, were the cases of Sumiyati and Kikim Komalasari who were mistreated by their employers in Saudi Arabia. Sumiyati had her lips removed after being beaten with blunt objects and Kikim whose dead body was found in public garbage dump.
Waves of public indignation arose in Indonesia as soon as the two cases were reported by the media. The public anger was amongst others voiced by a group calling themselves Solidaritas Pemuda Indonesia untuk TKI/Spion TKI (Indonesian Youths Solidarity for Migrant Workers).
Members of the group showed their solidarity by throwing rocks and women's sanitary napkins at the Saudi Arabian embassy in Jakarta on November 18, 2010.
Although the Indonesian government had sent a team to Saudi Arabia to investigate the two workers' cases and take possible legal action to defend their rights, manifestations of public anger did not stop.
Actually abuse or mistratement of migrant workers had happened before the Sumiati and Kikim Komalasari cases. The media still have in their files the cases of Nirmala Bonat in mid 2004, Ceriyati in 2007, Onis in May 2009, and Nuruk WIdayanti in June 2009 that took place in Malaysia.
These cases also considered as the Indonesian government's issue to reaffirm migrant workers dispatch regulation to any hosting countries.
The Indonesian Foreign Affairs Ministry who were involved in the team of delegates for the recent Saudi Arabian migrant cases for further legal measures to the employers.
According to the Foreign Affairs Ministry's Migrant Worker Protection Director Tatang Budie Utama Razak, his institution has been coordinating with the Saudi Arabian authorities on the case.
Tatang also said that the delegates also received some positive assistance from the local police and law enforcer to take the outraged employers by conducting a search on the crime scenes and legal process.
Regarding the numbers of migrant workers, Tatang is recomending a legal preparation for the worker candidates, they must really understand the condition of their workplace overseas.
"Every migrant worker's risk can actually be minimized by a proper preparation and the legality of their documents, to obtain safety, comfort and protection from the government, where their condition can be monitored by the Indonesian representative," Tatang said.
These workers are also expected to provide knowledge and awareness to report any problems occurs to the local representatives, such as knowing person whose to call in state of emergency.
"Everything must be fixed from the begining of the preparation, the documents, recruitment and propper training process by legal agencies, and the employer's assignment should also clarified," he said.
The matter requires an intervention of all the stakeholders in the business, starting from the migrant workers recruitment and distribution agency (PJTKI), agents, government officials of the Menpower and Transmigration Ministry, the Foreign Affairs Ministry and other stakeholders.
Earlier, Coordinating Minister for People's Welfare Agung Laksono suggested that the government improve the implementation of procedures for sending Indonesian workers abroad. He said the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, Manpower and Transmigration Ministry and the Indonesian Labor Placement and Protection Agency (BNP2TKI) must work together to solve the problems.
"Call manpower recruitment agencies to consolidate and improve the migrant workers placement system. We must also restrict the sending of our workers abroad by implementing tighter selection based on skills, working certificate, school certificates and other necessary documents," he said. T.A050
