Indonesian workers in Hong Kong are more well-liked than workers from the Philippines because of their Cantonese language ability. They are also willing to take lower wages and it is not uncommon for them to be underpaid.
Official numbers state some 130,000 Indonesian workers now reside in Hong Kong and Macau but the exact number is harder to estimate.
Despite the fact millions of Indonesian migrant workers like them contribute Rp 130 trillion — a significant sum — to government’s coffers, many feel the country has not done enough for them.
These workers have to hand over almost their entire first seven months’ pay to their work agencies, costs they claim are hugely inflated.
Not many of them were involved in the recent legislative election because they were not registered — although many live within walking distance of the Indonesian Consulate’s Office there. Others just could not be bothered, as they felt nothing would change no matter who became their representative in the House.
The Jakarta Post’s Ricky Yudhistira was in Hong Kong last week and took snapshots of their lives there.
