Letter to the editor: Clarification from the Indonesian Embassy, Kuala Lumpur

I refer to the article titled: “Brokers, bogus agencies cheating job seekers in M’sia” published by The Jakarta Post on Aug. 2.

The article quoted a statement made by Alex Ong of Migrant Care Malaysia (MCM) that cites that many Indonesian migrant workers received limited information about the program due to the poor performance of the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur in disseminating information to the millions of Indonesian workers there.

The above statement clearly has given the wrong impression that the embassy has not tried to give its maximum service and protection to all Indonesian workers in Malaysia.

Since its beginning, the program of registration, legalization, amnesty, supervision, enforcement and deportation has not been clear.

Malaysian officials have not provided sufficient information to all foreign mission offices in Malaysia or to illegal workers.

Nevertheless, the embassy has anticipated every possibility by giving accurate information to all Indonesian communities in Malaysia, including migrant workers. The embassy has held direct meetings with all the different local Indonesian communities, both inside and outside of the embassy.

Further, the embassy has called press conferences; used social media through the embassy’s website; published information in Caraka, the embassy’s monthly magazine; provided written notification and publication through flyers and banners; distributed a guidebook about the Malaysian program and made statements to the Malaysian and Indonesia media.

We do realize that the total number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia, both documented and undocumented, reaches almost two million.

We know that the embassy cannot reach all those workers with the information, despite our efforts. But we do believe that the majority of those workers have enjoyed our services and protection.

We regret that The Jakarta Post did not approach us to clarify or recheck this issue.

Nurul Dewi Saraswati
Third Secretary for Information, Social and Cultural Affairs
Indonesian Embassy
Kuala Lumpur