President to visit Malaysia to discuss migrant worker issues

Friday, October 30, 2009 2:48
 

Erwida Maulia ,  The Jakarta Post ,  Jakarta   |  Thu, 10/29/2009 1:13 PM  |  Headlines

President Susilo Bambang Yu-dhoyono will visit Malaysia in the near future following the recent death of an Indonesian migrant worker abused by her employer.

Presidential spokesman Dino Patti Djalal, told reporters Wednesday that issues surrounding the condition and fate of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia would be among things Yudhoyono would soon discuss with his Malaysian counterpart.

He stopped short of mentioning the specific date of the visit.

According to Dino, the President was "deeply concerned" over the death of Munti binti Bani, and believed that justice must be upheld in the case.

"Whatever her status, the alleged abuse that led to her death is a crime. The status is another problem.

"We hope the Malaysian government will take action against the perpetrators and put them on trial in accordance with Malaysian law," he said.

Muntik, from the East Java town of Jember, worked as a maid in Malaysia for six years before being submitted to Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Selangor, where she died on Monday.

Munti was allegedly shaven bald, beaten with steel, and told to sleep inside a toilet, Antara state news agency reported.

The Malaysian police raided her employers' house and took her to hospital following a report from a Malaysian lawyer.

In a press statement sent to The Jakarta Post, the Malaysian government said it strongly condemned the abuse and pledged the case would be investigated thoroughly, and that perpetrators would be sentenced according to the law.

The Malaysian Foreign Ministry said the Malaysian government expressed its "deepest sympathy and condolences" to the family of Muntik and to Indonesians in general, and promised to take legal measures against the perpetrators.

"The Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to stress that the Government of Malaysia strongly condemns all forms of abuse against any workers, regardless of nationality or sector of employment.

"In this regard, the Ministry of Foreign Affairs wishes to assure that the Royal Malaysia Police as well as other relevant agencies will conduct an immediate and detailed investigation of the incident, and will hand out the necessary sentence to the perpetrators," the Malaysian ministry said.

In a related development, some 100 ex-migrant workers and activists staged a demonstration in front of the Malaysian Embassy on Wednesday, demanding justice in the latest death, and a permanent termination of supplying domestic workers to the country.

Anis Hidayah, executive director of Migrant Care, which organized the protest, said that during the visit the President had to ensure justice, and must stop sending domestic workers to the country following the failure of Malaysian authorities to thoroughly investigate similar cases in the past.

"So far, Malaysia has not been able to uphold justice in the cases of Siti Hajar, Modesta and Tjeriati, three domestic workers tortured to death in their workplaces over the past two years," she said.

The demonstrators also urged the President to have the labor agreement revised to ensure protection for more than four million Indonesians currently working in Malaysia.