Jahar Gultom
KUCHING: The Indonesian Consulate office here is appealing to all Indonesian illegal immigrants in Sarawak estimated at 300,000 to make full use of the Voluntary Deportation Programme introduced by the Malaysian Immigration Department.
The appeal was made by the Indonesian consulate-general in Kuching, Jahar Gultom, who said that under the programme, each illegal immigrant could surrender him/herself and pay only RM400 under the 3+1 programme in exchange of not serving time in prison or paying high compound.
He said the programme was offered to those who had no travel documents, expired passes or expired passports. The programme would last until Dec 31, 2015.
“Illegal Immigrants can come to the Indonesian Consulate office here in Kuching and apply for an SPLP (Surat Perjalanan Laksana Paspor), to buy a valid ticket (bus or airplane ticket) and to the nearest Immigration office to register for the 3+1 programme,” Jahar told The Borneo Post yesterday.
He added that the programme was conducted in all the states in Malaysia and was a good way to help illegal immigrants go back to their country with dignity.
“The call is also made to all employers and companies who possibly have illegal immigrants working for them for a long time. There are undeniably problems arising from the issue of illegal Indonesian workers recruited without proper procedures,” he said.
Jahar said last year, 136 Indonesians were reported as trafficking in persons’ victims as they had been either cheated by their agents or that their employers had abused them.
He also disclosed that last year there were 1,482 Indonesians deported by the Immigration Department and another 1,020 arrested by the police and Immigration officers.
He also warned that a joint task force consisting of Malaysian and Indonesian enforcement agencies was currently conducting operations to rid the state of illegal immigrants.
“We support the policy and this appeal to all Indonesian illegal immigrants to cooperate with the relevant authorities in Sarawak,” he said, adding that these figures showed that a system should be put in place to decrease the number of illegal workers.
He also urged all employers to use the proper procedures in recruiting Indonesian workers.
Meanwhile, Jahar said both his country and Malaysia had agreed through a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2006 and later amended in 2011 on the recruitment and placement of Indonesian domestic workers.
“The MoU was signed with the spirit of ensuring mutual benefits between the people of Malaysia and Indonesia in meeting supply and demand of domestic workers in both countries.
He also warned that the high amount of money to be paid to agents for their maids would not guarantee their maids were properly recruited.
“In meeting the demand of maids, agents offer various prices to get a maid ranging from RM2,000 to RM11,000. But can that amount of money guarantee that the maid is good and will not run away?” he asked.
He also advised the people to get their maids through the proper channel and that there were benefits when people followed the proper procedures.
Jahar said that proper procedures would guarantee that the certified workers were well-trained, prepared and well-informed about working conditions and cultures in Malaysia; sharing of responsibility between agents, employers and workers in terms of unexpected circumstances (such as absconding, sickness, death, or other cases happening to the workers); control and supervision of the process of recruiting foreign workers; and protection of workers from abusive treatment.
“In reality, the MoU is not used as a basis in recruiting Indonesian maids and many employers have to deal with the fact that their maid ran away while agents (Indonesians or Malaysians) did not take the responsibility,” he said.
Jahar also quoted an article in The Borneo Post on Feb 26, 2015, which reported that a syndicate was believed to have helped maids to run away from their employers before they re-introduced these maids to other employers.
“This actually happened. Once there was an employer who has found out that her maid was told by an agent to run away and she went all the way from Kuching to Miri to get back her ‘stolen’ maid.
“The high demand from Malaysia and the big supply from Indonesia with regards to workers should be addressed accordingly and based on mutual benefits.
“It is fair to say that following the right procedures as agreed in the MoU in recruiting Indonesian maids would be a good thing to do to minimise unwanted outcome when employing maids,” Jahar said.