ID :
37610
Sat, 12/27/2008 - 08:29
Auther :
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https://oananews.org//node/37610
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News Focus: FOREIGN MINISTRY'S ACKWARD RESPONSE TO RI'S WORKERS IN SYRIA REGRETTED
By Eliswan Azly
Jakarta, Dec 26 (ANTARA) - Chief of the National Agency for Indonesian Migrant Workers Placement and Protection (BNP2TKI) Moh Jumhur Hidayat expressed regret over the ackward response of the foreign ministry in supporting the efforts his side has pioneered to legalize the status of around 70,000 Indonesian illegals in Syria.
"The foreign minister did not give any support to the efforts already pioneered by Syrian Ambassador to Indonesia and the BNP2TKI in the process of legalizing the status of Indonesian illegals living in this Mideast country," said Hidayat through an SMS message from Damascus, the capital of Syria on Friday.
Jumhur made the remarks on the lack of support from the foreign ministry after meeting with Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Muzamil Basumi.
From Thursday (Dec 25) to Sunday (Dec 28), Jumhur was on a working visit to Syria to check the efforts to legalize the status of 70,000 Indonesian illegals in that country.
According to Jumhur, Muzammil Basuni fully supported the step taken by the BNP2TKI in legalizing the workers's status in Syria, but he was yet to go further to help BNP2TKI as he was still waiting for a letter from the foreign ministry in Jakarta.
"The foreign ministry should accordingly take firmer action. If necessary, a written order has to be issued by a certain directorate in the foreign ministry or its secretary general or the foreign minister himself," he said.
Since the beginning, the Indonesian embassy had often made efforts to legalize the status of around 70,000 Indonesian illegals in Syria. But while the process is underway, the reason is often attributed to a lack of support from the foreign ministry in Jakarta.
The effort to legalize the status of illegal workers is very important to protect the Indonesian workers, thus enabling them to find a better job.
The manpower agency in Syria and the private sector like the Indonesian Manpower Supplier Agency (PPTKIS) had reached a 50-50 formula whereas the dispatch of Indonesian workers should be followed by one Indonesian illegal worker getting a legal status and a sum of money for the payment of insurance premium that should be reported to the Indonesian embassy in Syria.
However, it could not yet be carried out now, because the Syrian ambassador admitted that he could go further into this case before the issuance of a written order from the foreign ministry, Jumhur said.
In response to ackward response from the foreign ministry, Said Nizar who is an international law graduate of the Hassanuddin University said that based on law No 39/2004 on the placement and protection of Indonesian workers in other countries, the foreign ministry only supported the effort, while BNP2KTI is responsible for technical matters involved.
Nizar saw that the foreign ministry's delayed reply to the letter already sent by the Indonesian ambassador to Jakarta might have to do with many jobs to be handled. Practically, the process of a wait-and-see is however unavoidable.
As a matter of fact, the Indonesian embassy in Syria should have the right to take a swift action in smoothening the process of legalizing the status of Indonesian illegals which will promote the image and performance of the embassy.
There is no need to wait for a letter from Jakarta, if the effort is aimed to promote the image and performance of the ambassador. "I think the bureaucracy like this is needed only if the embassy happens to be in a war-stricken country like Afghanistan and Iraq especially in the granting of visas to local applicants."
To face this unfavourable situation, Jumhur instructed deputy head of the BNP2TKI Mardjono to settle the issue on the placement and legalization of the status of Indonesian illegals in Syria to Jakarta.
"Everything needs to be left to the BNP2TKI which has the authority to decide on the placement and legalization of the status of Indonesian illegals. Let us decide it in Jakarta. There is no need to get the support from the Indonesian embassy in Syria or the Indonesian foreign ministry," he said.
Jumhur will also appoint PPTKIS in charge of sending Indonesian workers to Syria to include a document on the legalization of Indonesian illegals.
According to him, every month at least 2000 to 3000 Indonesian workers could be sent to Syria.
By referring the process to Jakarta, Jumhur believed that in the next two to three years, all workers in Syria would get a legal status, to have equal rights with other foreign workers and to get insured during their employment in that country.
Furthermore, Mardjono said that the 70,000 Indonesian workers who were going to have a legal status had been staying in Syria for a long time, and some of them even for tens of years.
But because of their illegal status, they are unable to get a job in the formal sector, and they even cannot go home.
Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Kuwait, Syria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates need a lot of workers for employment in the oil, construction, industrial, hotel and healthcare sectors.
Jakarta, Dec 26 (ANTARA) - Chief of the National Agency for Indonesian Migrant Workers Placement and Protection (BNP2TKI) Moh Jumhur Hidayat expressed regret over the ackward response of the foreign ministry in supporting the efforts his side has pioneered to legalize the status of around 70,000 Indonesian illegals in Syria.
"The foreign minister did not give any support to the efforts already pioneered by Syrian Ambassador to Indonesia and the BNP2TKI in the process of legalizing the status of Indonesian illegals living in this Mideast country," said Hidayat through an SMS message from Damascus, the capital of Syria on Friday.
Jumhur made the remarks on the lack of support from the foreign ministry after meeting with Indonesian Ambassador to Syria Muzamil Basumi.
From Thursday (Dec 25) to Sunday (Dec 28), Jumhur was on a working visit to Syria to check the efforts to legalize the status of 70,000 Indonesian illegals in that country.
According to Jumhur, Muzammil Basuni fully supported the step taken by the BNP2TKI in legalizing the workers's status in Syria, but he was yet to go further to help BNP2TKI as he was still waiting for a letter from the foreign ministry in Jakarta.
"The foreign ministry should accordingly take firmer action. If necessary, a written order has to be issued by a certain directorate in the foreign ministry or its secretary general or the foreign minister himself," he said.
Since the beginning, the Indonesian embassy had often made efforts to legalize the status of around 70,000 Indonesian illegals in Syria. But while the process is underway, the reason is often attributed to a lack of support from the foreign ministry in Jakarta.
The effort to legalize the status of illegal workers is very important to protect the Indonesian workers, thus enabling them to find a better job.
The manpower agency in Syria and the private sector like the Indonesian Manpower Supplier Agency (PPTKIS) had reached a 50-50 formula whereas the dispatch of Indonesian workers should be followed by one Indonesian illegal worker getting a legal status and a sum of money for the payment of insurance premium that should be reported to the Indonesian embassy in Syria.
However, it could not yet be carried out now, because the Syrian ambassador admitted that he could go further into this case before the issuance of a written order from the foreign ministry, Jumhur said.
In response to ackward response from the foreign ministry, Said Nizar who is an international law graduate of the Hassanuddin University said that based on law No 39/2004 on the placement and protection of Indonesian workers in other countries, the foreign ministry only supported the effort, while BNP2KTI is responsible for technical matters involved.
Nizar saw that the foreign ministry's delayed reply to the letter already sent by the Indonesian ambassador to Jakarta might have to do with many jobs to be handled. Practically, the process of a wait-and-see is however unavoidable.
As a matter of fact, the Indonesian embassy in Syria should have the right to take a swift action in smoothening the process of legalizing the status of Indonesian illegals which will promote the image and performance of the embassy.
There is no need to wait for a letter from Jakarta, if the effort is aimed to promote the image and performance of the ambassador. "I think the bureaucracy like this is needed only if the embassy happens to be in a war-stricken country like Afghanistan and Iraq especially in the granting of visas to local applicants."
To face this unfavourable situation, Jumhur instructed deputy head of the BNP2TKI Mardjono to settle the issue on the placement and legalization of the status of Indonesian illegals in Syria to Jakarta.
"Everything needs to be left to the BNP2TKI which has the authority to decide on the placement and legalization of the status of Indonesian illegals. Let us decide it in Jakarta. There is no need to get the support from the Indonesian embassy in Syria or the Indonesian foreign ministry," he said.
Jumhur will also appoint PPTKIS in charge of sending Indonesian workers to Syria to include a document on the legalization of Indonesian illegals.
According to him, every month at least 2000 to 3000 Indonesian workers could be sent to Syria.
By referring the process to Jakarta, Jumhur believed that in the next two to three years, all workers in Syria would get a legal status, to have equal rights with other foreign workers and to get insured during their employment in that country.
Furthermore, Mardjono said that the 70,000 Indonesian workers who were going to have a legal status had been staying in Syria for a long time, and some of them even for tens of years.
But because of their illegal status, they are unable to get a job in the formal sector, and they even cannot go home.
Libya, Algeria, Tunisia, Kuwait, Syria, Qatar and the United Arab Emirates need a lot of workers for employment in the oil, construction, industrial, hotel and healthcare sectors.
