Indonesians in Malaysia send home $2.1bln in 2011

Indonesian migrant workers sent home a whopping US$6.1 billion (RM18.9 billion) between January and November last year, with $2.1 billion (RM6.5 billion) remitted from Malaysia.

The figures recorded by Bank Indonesia, the central bank, do not include money sent directly by them or via non-bank institutions which were not registered.

National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers director for manpower empowerment Baslian Krisnayoza said the $6.1 billion was remitted by Indonesians working in Australia, America, European, Asian and African countries.

Cash remittances from Asia alone totaled $3.5 billion. They are $2.1 billion from Malaysia; Taiwan ($448 million); Hong Kong ($441 million); Singapore ($238 million); Japan ($146 million), South Korea ($85 million); Brunei ($53 million), Macao ($38 million) and other countries ($2.69 million), said Baslian said in a statement.

"However, the total $6.1 billion sent home in 2011 was lesser than the $6.7 billion remitted in 2010," added Baslian.