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?
Indonesia’s deputy chief of mission here Abdurrahman Mohammad
Fachir said the embassy had set up a 24-hour hotline for them to call.
<P>"We
have a texting system and website for our citizens to lodge complaints. They can
also write to the embassy," he said in response to a report that an Indonesian
maid had tried to flee from her employer by climbing down a 15th floor condominium
using a rope fashioned from pieces of cloth tied together.</P><P>The maid, identified
only as Shamelin, 33, said she had been suffering months of abuse.</P><P>She managed
to get down to the 12th floor before being rescued by firemen.</P><P>Abdurrahman
said the embassy would look after Shamelin until her case was settled and then
she would be sent home.</P><P>"But if she still wants to work here, we will
help her find a responsible employer," he added.</P><P>He was speaking to
newsmen at a family day held at the Lake Gardens in conjunction with his country’s
62nd anniversary of its independence.</P><P>Abdurrahman, who is also the acting
ambassador, hoped the authorities would take steps to ensure that the abuse of
maids would not recur.</P><P>"Unlike those working in groups in factories
and estates, those working in households are alone and very vulnerable to abuse,"
he said.</P><P>"We are taking this very seriously. This should serve as a
reminder to other employers not to abuse and mistreat their maids."</P><P>He
said about 1,000 reports from Indonesian maids, including allegations of physical
and sexual abuse and unpaid wages, were received by the embassy last year.</P><P>The
number was still small considering there were more than 300,000 Indonesian maids
in the country, he said.</P><P>Abdurrahman said his country was working hard to
ensure that its citizens were treated well in Malaysia.</P><P>It hopes to work
out a standard minimum wage for Indonesian workers and giving them an identity
card that would be recognised by both countries to prevent wrongful detention.</P><P>Abdurrahman
said Indonesia was looking for a site for a new embassy building in Putrajaya.</P><P>"Right
now we are handling some 2,000 Indonesians daily who came to process their documents.</P><P>Source:
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/20070618082309/Article/index_html</P><P>"The
embassy built in 1974 cannot accommodate such a large number of people,"
he said</P><P>Some 1,000 Indonesians including staff of the embassy and Indonesia
Kuala Lumpur School, expatriates, students and workers attended the family day.</P><P><I>Source:
http://www.nst.com.my/Current_News/NST/Monday/National/20070618082309/Article/index_html</I>
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