THE MISERY OF INDONESIAN LABOR FORCE (TKI) IN MALAYSIA
(The effect of Indonesia economics development strategy toward the opportunity of employment)
Selesai ditulis: Sun, 27 Jul 2003
Tulisan untuk SEAPA Bangkok
Life of TKI is so miserable in Malaysia. They are about three millions and some of them got a very low income and bad facilities. It began with the unavailability of job served by Indonesian government, while they have to face the authoritative government of Malaysia that following the system of low payment labor.
Where there is sugar there are ants. Numerous people of Indonesia get jobs in Malaysia. The Malaysia economics growth since the 1980s and reach the peak in 1987-1997 needed millions of labors that unable to fulfilled by the internal labors. Therefore, government invited the foreign labor to be employed in plantations, industries, construction, and services sectors. It also increased the amount Malaysian workingwomen and the amount of housemaids employed from Indonesia. “The similarity on language, culture, and religion become the main reason to choose TKI in fulfilling the need of foreign labors in Malaysia,” said Dato Abdul Raman Palil, the member of Komite Dewan Kota Negara Bagian Selangor.
The Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) of Kuala Lumpur annually reported that the number of the coming TKI keeps increasing and rising the peak at the time of the Indonesia economic crises. Not only the low class of TKI, but also the professionally and high-educated one moved to Malaysia. Many big industries in Malaysia, including the Petronas Oil Corporation and) and the hi-tech private corporations absorbed so many professional TKI, even the Malaysian Airways Service (MAS) also needed Indonesia pilots and stewardess.
Bambang Hartoko, Capt. Pilot -who works at MAS- said that working in Malaysia is very interesting since he gets a good salary and the supportive working environment. The facility of scholarship for his children and the guaranteed Malaysian security confirmed him to move his family to Malaysia. Moreover, he got the trauma when the riots of May 1998 happened in Jakarta. “My children were unable to went home for a day and night. This trauma force me to move my family,” said him. Recently, there are more than 40 Indonesian pilots working there. He added that working in MAS is free from political interfere. When he still worked at the Garuda Indonesia Airways (GIA), he was forced to follow a political party, GOLKAR, and it hurtled him. He disappointed again when he moved to Sempati Airways, the Suhartos’ corporation. He witnessed the bankruptcy of it by the corruption and the wrong management. Then, he approved the offer of MAS in 1997, at the time Sempati began to embezzle the catering and oil of Pertamina.
The transfer of Indonesian professionalists to Malaysia was indeed troublesome, and became the public discourse. The economic crises made the Indonesian students studied in Malaysia reluctant to go back. Some of them choose to stay, look for job, and become the citizen of Malaysia. “Main reason is there are numerous job with interesting salaries here,” said Sahidul Amin, one of the Indonesian student figures in Malaysia, the candidate of Islamic Studies doctor in Malaya University.
Most of TKI surely working in Malaysia are the low class who employed at the hard, dirty, and tough environment, but at low payment. They are very needed and very troublesome. According to the data of KBRI, there are 590,698 legally-come TKI. They work at plantation (29%), industry (19%), construction (18%), services (7%), and housemaid (27%). On May 2003, there are 233 PJTKI spreading 59,710 TKI to 389 employers via Malaysian agent. If there are half millions of legal labors, so there are more than a million of them illegally come. The unofficial numbers said that there are about 3 millions of them is not legal, since there are so many easy entrances to Malaysia legal or illegally. The illegal TKI certainly causes many problems in Malaysia since some of them are criminals. Almost every week, the Malaysian media reported the robbery and snatching cases involving Indonesian. Some were deadly shoot by the police.
The legal TKI also face the problem. The enticing offer of the high salary and other facilities stated by PJTKI were not wholly true. “Big salary is unequal with the high life expense in Malaysia,” said Mulustan, the 28 years old TKI came from Palembang, the South Sumatra. He departed to Malaysia on the year of 2000 by paying two millions rupiahs to the PJTKI. He must waited for the calling for 7 months. The first salary he got in Malaysia was RM 350, and just barely enough for life and no more. He had to pay the levy since he was an illegal labor and it cut off his salary. “If there is overtime due, I can save some of my money,” said him. Concerning to the job accident, he said that the enterprise would not directly guarantee the insurance claim as if anything happened. It will be given if they report it to the KBRI.
The problem of low income was also faced by TKI in the plantation. Iwan, 33 years old, a father of 2 children from Aceh, rubber taper in Remban, state of Malaka, promised to work in a productive rubber plantation. In fact, when he arrived at Remban, he just see old rubber trees that unproductive. The facility of housing, electricity, and clean water is not considerable enough. “Employer gave the electricity generator after strike”, Iwan said.
Mohammad Thahir, 36 years old, rubber taper from Sumbawa said that rubber taper was not having insurance when they had an accident. A taper who blinds because of rubber sap went home without any separation pay. Medical expense because of other working accident is also not assured by the employer. “Although with the salary of senior taper RM 500 a month, we cannot afford to pay if there is an accident,” Thahir said.
The TKI in Malaysia is like in a prison. They cannot go anywhere they want at Malaysia because the police will get them. The hard condition in the work field that not agreed with the contract make many of them run away. It makes the employer lose out and report it to the police. The workers who didn’t runaway often caught by the police and got accuse that they will runaway. According to Thahir, ID Card as the replacement of passport given by Malaysian Immigration is not valid in front of the police. Malaysian police officer often caught the TKI who did not bring the passport, as happened to Thahir and his friend. Till now, the Malaysian government enforces the rule that their passports were taken temporarily by their employer until their job contract is over, to avoid them running with the unfinished job contract. “The negotiation between Indonesia and Malaysia about this problem had run for a year and not finding compromise,” said Supeno Sahid, the Counselor for the Kuala Lumpur KBRI.
The story of the illegal Indonesian labor is much more miserable. The Malaysian industrialization indeed absorbs this labor. In manufacturer, construction, and plantation, their skill is much needed since they are cheaper till 50 %. However, the risk of being caught and blackmailed by the police. The illegal labor is easily known since their boss usually picks them by van and sent them back to the dorm after work. If there is raiding, they run to the jungle. Usually the police will let them. They sleep in whatever condition. They were also told not to go outside the work environment too much to avoid the police. They send money to their family in Indonesia via their friend that legal.
The police raiding is usually held regularly, and lasts for 6 months before the Malaysian Independence Day on 31st of August. Since there are many illegal labor in the construction sectors, the employer had know by heart the time of the police raiding. They will be informed if there is any inspection on the ID Card and told to hide if the police come. “Only the unfortunate that makes them caught and jailed,” said this Indonesian supervisor.
He had been caught on February 2000, and his life in Semenye jail, Kajang, at the district of Selangor, for a month is so miserable. He was put on the 600-m room with the 3,600 other foreign labors from many countries. It was full enough and lack of good food. He was not sent back quickly to Indonesia until he paid RM 100. Arriving to Belawan Port, he should paid RM 250 again to go to Dumai. Once more, he should paid for a million rupiah (about RM 400) given by his parents so he would able to go back to Java by the bus that come three days later. The Vice President of Keadilan Party, Tian Chua, who had been in jail for breaking the ISA, also witnessed the misery of the illegal TKI in Malaysia.
Who should be blamed for this? According to Revrisond Baswir – the economics expert of Gadjah Mada University of Yogyakarta – mistakes was arisen from the Indonesian policy. The Indonesian economic policy was not aimed to create the employment field for the people since the era of Suharto. The farmers, sailors, and labors were discarded since the coming of the capitalist sector. Since, job would never exist, they found other chance for seeking it abroad. “Indonesian government only think about the investor’s interest. There is no political will to think about how to get a job,” said Revrisond.
He added further that this condition is unchanged in the era of Megawati. The government did not create the employment area seriously, since the unoptimal duty done by the Department of Labor and Transmigration leaded by the Minister Jacob Nuwawea. The latest example is the dismissal of the 9000 workers of the Dirgantara Inc., the producer and assembler of the aircraft components. Totally, there are 40 millions people became the victim of the openly and un-openly unemployment, based on Revrisond’s calculation. “Ironic that Indonesia think the employment area created by Malaysia is one of the solutions of the national problem,” stated by him again.
The Authoritative Malaysia
The misery of Indonesian Labors in Malaysia gets harder since they came to Malaysia without enough information. According to Tian Chua, TKI had to face an authoritative reign that put the law salary as the economic policy, which had seen as the comparative advantage of Malaysian industrialization. This made the investor came. That’s why the welfare of the labors in not the aim of the economic development in Malaysia. The Malaysian gets the higher salary toward the foreign labors for the same job.
Tian Chua added, “The critical people like us had been considered as the rebel toward the kingdom, and easily put into jail”. The member of the Parliament, Wan Azizah Wan Ismail, said that the government of Mahathir Mohammad indeed used any ways to fade the opposition. The arrestment of Dato Anwar Ibrahim, the former Deputy of the Malaysian Prime Minister – husband of Wan Azizah Wan Ismail – was aimed to stop the reformation movement wanted to protect the low level of society. “The economic development had make Malaysian asleep, and didn’t think seriously the welfare of the low level society,” said her sadly.
According to Fathi Anis Omar, the columnist of the web newspaper Malaysiakini.com, some of Malaysian chose not critical since they can be forced by many rules. One can be arrested for 60 days, and prolonged to 2 years of breaking the ISA (Internal Security Act) without any trial. They are also unable to get defend from the mass media, since media is not free and had to get publishing permits based on Acta Media.
Fathi Anis Omar also added that the freedom to unite and organize in Malaysia is forbidden since there is the Right to Assembly. In this rule, five or more people who are grouped in the public room or building, can be arrested by the police if considered to be dangerous. Besides, there is also the Official Secret Act that can cause people who criticizes the government to be arrested. “Not the corrupted apparatus who put into jail, but one who report them,” said Fathi Anis Omar.
In the last 10 years, the Mahathir’s government is extremely authoritative since the power of Kings is decreased. In the past, a regulation is enforced after signed by the King. Now, even the most authoritative regulation is valid after 60 days with or without the King’s approval. “The people of Malaysia surely will think about themselves,” said Fathi Anis Omar.
However, there are some law advocating institution serves the defense toward the fate of foreign labors. One of them is Tenagagita. Adele Fernandes, the program coordinator of Tenagagita, stated that through the years, TKI who reported their cases increased. It made Tenagagita unable to handle so many problems. The main problem of it is the Indonesian government that not seriously protected their people working abroad. This is different with the Bangladesh and India. They were similarly poor, but they have serious responsibility toward their people. “I have ever proposed this to Minister Yacob Nuwawea, but not seriously responded,” said Adele Fernandes.
Sahidul Amin, the Indonesian student in Malaysia who is very close to the TKI, said that so many cases needed to manage by a special law advocating institution (LBH), since the role of KBRI was stuck by the routinely activities. TKI are unable to defend them of the expensive cost of trial. They have to pay for about RM 500 for a case. “If there is an Indonesian people want to create a special LBH, we would readily facilitate it,” said him. But, it never came true till now.
Related to the TKI fate, an officer of the Kuala Lumpur KBRI said that the difficulty in managing this problem began from Jakarta. The management of TKI was not managed by an autonomy institution governed directly by the President, unlike Philippine. Recently, there are 11 departments responsible to manage TKI, and is not effective enough. They were not seriously think about the solution, since they are absent from the meeting. “In every meeting about TKI in Jakarta, many minister are absent. How can we finish this?” said this officer who did not have the right to manage this TKI problem.
TKI not only served the bad experience in Malaysia, but also in their own country, they were blackmailed. Among the cruelest one is the terminal 3 of the Sukarno-Hatta Airport. The TKI came from abroad were forced to change their foreign money with the low rate and insisted to use the public transportation with the double cost. The organization of TKI in Malaysia had often report to the representatives and the higher officer of the Indonesian government about this blackmailing, even to Megawati. She promised to overcome this, but there is no result. That’s why Selamet Masrur, the head of Ikatan Pekerja Muslim Indonesia (IPMI) in Malaysia, said that TKI should struggle hard for his or her own fate. His institution had train his 5000 members with a simple advice. At the time they go back to their country, they should not bring so much money and should be transferred via bank. They are also told to land in other cities such as Yogyakarta, Palembang, or Denpasar that save from blackmailing. IPMI also plans to contact the students to fetch the arrival of Malaysian TKI as soon as they arrive at the Sukarno Hatta Airport to save them.
Human Trafficking
A problem that recently difficult to cope with by the KBRI is the woman trade that involve the Indonesian immigration. The victims were deceived by a high salary job in the short time in Malaysia. In fact, after they arrived to Malaysia, they were forced to be a prostitute. The Malaysian entertainment world needs so many sex workers and some of them came from Indonesia. Human trafficking-the woman trade-becomes the most serious problem in ASEAN area. The mode of operation is very real. They come with the tourist visa and illegally forced to be the commercial sex workers (PSK). Their lives are worse than slaves are. Some of them were locked and forbidden to go out from their dorm and transaction area. They also got a deadly threat from the guardian. From the division of Public Relation of the Polis di-Raja Malaysia (PDRM) headquarters, there are 17,534 foreign women worked illegally as prostitute. Most of them is Indonesian (10,584 women). Others are Thailandnesse (3,149), Philippines (1,794), Chinese (1,189), Uzbecistanesse (398), Cambodians (107), and Russians (73).
One of the prostitute that successfully escape from the sexual slavery is Orchid, 27 years old – not a real name – mother of four children from Cirebon, East Java. She came to Malaysia with the offer to work in a Brunei restaurant with 3-4 millions of salary (about RM 1200-1600). She was departed by plane to Pontianak with 10 of other women. Arrived to Pontianak, she found out that she would never work at Brunei since she was sold out for RM 900 to an employer that would bring her to Malaysia. A man named Michael said that all costs of transportation, accommodation, passport, and visa should be paid by serving 150 men sexually. The price of a Kong/man to be served is RM 60.
For a week waiting at Pontianak, she and friends experienced torturing. The guardian raped three virgin girls first. This would not become problem even it happened close to the Tebedu Immigration Office. There are also names known by Orchid such as Johan, Ahong, Ayang, and Ellen. They are so cruel. Arrived to Kuching, they were selected into group A, B, and C based on their beauty, and straightly met by the next buyers. This human trade happened so fast. Entering Malaysia, they experience the bad nightlife in the area of Port Klang, Mentakab, Kajang, Kuala Lumpur, and Ipoh. Orchid successfully escaped by jumping from the 9th to 8th floor of a building, and running to get a taxi to KBRI.
Until May 2003, there are 69 people asking protection from KBRI, then sent back to Indonesia. The number of human trafficking woman vastly increases this year from 65 cases in 2002. According to Supeno Sahid, the line for human trafficking is still the same i.e. from Pontianak across Kuching after got passport from the Tebedu immigration office.
By the numerous cases in some sectors, not decreases the coming of TKI to Malaysia legal or illegally. They consider Malaysia is the prosperous place. In fact, the salary in Malaysia is getting lower since they aren’t needed anymore by Malaysia. The economic crises spread to Malaysia. Sadono Sukirno, the senior economic expert from the Malaya University, stated that recently the electronic industries of Malaysia get depressed. The build of the highway infrastructure, train, and building in Malaysia has finished. “That’s why, the request of TKI in the future will decrease,” said Sadono Sukirno.
Revrisond Baswir – the former staff of the Human Right Minister in the era of Gus Dur – said if the problem of labors remains unsolved in Indonesia internal affairs, so the misery of TKI in Malaysia would be harder. “If the strategy if the Indonesian economic development not creates the job opportunity for the people, so the misery of Indonesian people abroad – such as TKI in Malaysia – will lasts forever,” said him.
