An estimated 10,000 illegal workers from Indonesia have lived in uncertainty in Malaysia as they have no official documents and
records to enter and work in the neighboring country, Deputy Speaker of the East Nusa Tenggara (NTT) Legislative Council Anselmus Tallo said on Friday.
"The workers who mostly come from East Nusa Tenggara
(NTT) live in Setiawan District of Perak Malaysia and have no official records
and documents so that they are categorized as illegal workers," Anselmus said in Kupang as
quoted by the state Antara news agency.
Anselmus made the remarks after a missionary from Chinese
Metodhist Church Manjung Malaysia, Grace Lee, together with Pastor Otniel Dani
Liu and missionaries of Jakarta Christian Church (GKJ) visited the council to
testify about the condition of the Nusa Tenggara people who are working illegally
in Malaysia in front of the councillors.
The Malaysian missionaries often helped the illegal workers
in the Malaysian forests, especially those who received harassment that caused
them to suffer from illnesses and even to die, Anselmus said.
In front of the councillors, Grace Lee displayed videos and
photographs of the handling of the illegal workers, especially from NTT, in the
Malaysian forests.
The documentations depicted the efforts of Grace Lee in
helping the workers. There were a number of the workers, who had to be
amputated and operated as well. Aside of handling the injured, Grace Lee also
took care of the dead workers.
One of the illegal workers, Ambros Seran, who was injured in
an accident, was brought back to NTT. His right arm had to be amputated as he fell
down from a speeding motorcycle when he was chased by the Malaysian police.
A GKJ missionary, Rudolf Latuihamalo, asked the councillors
and NTT administration to give assurance to the job seekers to properly process
requirements to become migrant workers overseas.
"Becoming illegal workers is very risky, because the
employers tend to be irresponsible," Rudolf said.
The workers, however, choose to work illegally in Malaysia
due to the difficult and arduous procedures in the administration and
registration processing, he said, adding that the cost for passport
administration alone could reach Rp 2 million to Rp 3 million each.
They mostly lived in the camps deep in the Malaysian
forests, he added.
