Malaysia is one of Asia's biggest employers of foreign labour. But recently, cases of deaths, abuse and forced labour have come to light. What is going on? Who is protecting these migrant workers?
Speaking on the sidelines of the National Meeting on Worker Supervision here
Monday, Erman said he would demand thorough explanations from the two envoys
on the legal proceedings following several abuse cases that have resulted in
a number of deaths.
<p>The government has been under fire for some time over its perceived failure
to protect Indonesian workers overseas, while it in turn has blamed workers
for going abroad through illegal avenues and unofficial work agencies.</p>
<p>The Foreign Ministry has said it is difficult to identify and trace Indonesian
workers who go abroad illegally and work in private homes.</p>
<p>Erman said he would demand assurances from the ambassadors that the investigations
into the accused employers were progressing and would result in reasonable verdicts.</p>
<p>"We don’t want these employers who were so ferocious to our citizens get
a light verdict," the minister was quoted as saying by detik.com news portal.</p>
<p>State Minister for Women’s Empowerment Meutia Farida Hatta Swasono has blamed
local cultures in the two countries for the ongoing abuses, saying that treating
maids as slaves is common.</p>
<p>It has also been suggested that many migrant workers lack training necessary
for their jobs and that the government should provide more training programs
for people planning to work overseas.</p>
<p>There have been several cases of abuse in the news this year, with the most
recent being the alleged murders of Siti Tarqiyah of East Java and Sumiati of
Central Java in Saudi Arabia.</p>
<p>Two other women, Rumini and Tari from West Java, were seriously injured in
the same incident and are now in a hospital in Riyadh.</p>
<p>Separately, the body of Kunarsih, a maid from Surakarta, Central Java, was
flown back from Malaysia recently, after she died, allegedly from injuries inflicted
by her employer.</p>
<p><i>Source: http://www.thejakartapost.com/Archives/ArchivesDet2.asp?FileID=20070828.H09</i>
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