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Migrant workers arrive home to celebrate Idul Fitri
Suherdjoko , The Jakarta Post , Semarang | Mon, 09/29/2008 10:54 AM | The Archipelago
Hundreds of migrant workers have arrived at Ahmad Yani airport in Semarang, Central Java, over the past two weeks to celebrate Idul Fitri in their hometowns.
Early Saturday morning, 80 migrant workers from the province arrived here from Singapore on Garuda Indonesia's Singapore-Semarang route.
According to data from the Migrant Worker Protection and Services Center (BPPPTKI) at the airport, the 80 Central Java migrant workers are among 109 migrant workers who arrived here from Singapore on Saturday .
BPPPTKI official Yan Dahono said hundreds of migrant workers had also arrived here from their workplaces in Middle Eastern countries and Malaysia.
"They will keep coming until a few days before Idul Fitri. Singapore-Semarang is a short route, so the workers do not need to transit in Jakarta," he said.
One of the migrant workers, Tri Mulyandari, of Weleri in Kendal regency, Central Java, said she had missed her family while working in Singapore for two years.
"After celebrating Idul Fitri in my hometown, I will return to Singapore," Mulyandari said.
She revealed she was paid relatively well, receiving between Rp 2 million (US$215) and Rp 3 million a month.
"Many migrant workers will return to Singapore because they are well-paid."
There were four times as many relatives picking up the migrants workers as workers themselves. They usually rent cars from someone in their village.
Meanwhile, thousands of Idul Fitri travelers using economy-class trains have arrived here from Jakarta. Between five and 10 days before the actual holiday on Oct. 1, a total of 18,940 travelers arrived at Poncol railway station in Semarang.
Most of the trains arrived at Poncol station between one and two hours late because of the hectic schedule.
"Many trains came late because they often have to stop at many railway stations. Moreover, there are more trains during the Idul Fitri holiday season," Poncol railway station deputy head, Triyono, said Saturday.
Many travelers then continued their journeys to their hometowns, such as Surakarta, Grobogan and Cepu in Central Java.
A shortage of seats meant many traveling on the Tawang Java Extra train had to sit on the floor of the goods carriage. The goods carriage has two big rolling doors and no windows.
"Although there are fans on the roof, it's still hot inside here. We are sitting or even lying on the floor with a sheet of newspaper," Ananto, a traveler from Surabaya, said.
