Malaysia must prosecute RI worker’s shooter: Marty

Marty Natalegawa: (JP)Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa has urged Malaysian authorities to prosecute a man who shot dead an Indonesian worker after mistaking the victim for a macaque stealing mangoes from his yard.

“We are decisively asking Malaysia to enforce the law,” Marty told journalists at the State Palace on Wednesday.

Kaniseus Leu, a 39-year-old Indonesian migrant worker from Lembata Island in East Nusa Tenggara, died after his 71-year-old employer shot him in the head and shoulder as he climbed a mango tree to reap the fruit after returning from work on Monday, Antara news agency reported.

“According to the suspected shooter, he mistook the worker, but this case is still under investigation and the alleged perpetrator has been detained. We’ll see,” Marty said.

The minister added the victim’s family had filed an official request with the government to help repatriate the victim’s remains for burial in Indonesia.

Kaniseus worked for an oil palm plantation in Paya Bungor, Kelantan, according to Antara.

“The employer, who was at his house about 20 meters away, saw the tree shaking and thought a monkey was trying to steal the fruit,” Pahang Police deputy chief of detectives Mohd. Haris Daud said. “He took his son’s gun and shot at the target from the kitchen window.”

The body of Kaniseus was taken to Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital for autopsy, while the suspect was brought to the Kuantan Police headquarters for questioning.

Malaysia is home to more than 2 million Indonesian workers.

The relationship between Indonesia and its neighbor country has been fraught with numerous ups and downs. Alleged abuses of Indonesian workers in Malaysia and conflicting claims over maritime territories have been a source of tension in the media in both countries. (swd)