Malaysian Fishermen Arrive Home After Almost 10 Months In Indonesian Prison

MELAKA (Malaysia), Jan 7 (Bernama) -- The six Malaysian fishermen, who were detained for almost 10 months by the Indonesian authorities for allegedly encroaching into their waters, arrived home Friday after they were granted amnesty by Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono. The six of them, together with an Indonesian fishermen, were detained in international waters between Malaysia and Indonesia on March 8 last year. They were released from the Bengkalis Prison last Jan 4 after the Indonesian president offered an amnesty in the form of a reduced jail sentence and abolition of the one milyar Rupiah (RM350,000) fine per person. The Malaysian fishermen, all from Pontian Johor, are Jamil Mohd Top, 53; Mohd Zamri Hambali, 26; Rosli Abd Rashid, 34; Zainodin Adam, 53; Ridzwan Aris, 35, and Ibrahim Mohd Kasim, 29. They arrived at the Banda Hilir ferry jetty here about 1.30pm and were welcomed by family members and friends. One of the fishermen, Ridzwan, said that the time spent in the Indonesian prison was a valuable experience for him. "I never stop praying that I would be reunited with my family again and my thoughts were always of them, especially my wife and three children," he added. Ridzwan, a fisherman for 15 years, said the Malaysian fishermen were treated well while in prison. Meanwhile, Deputy Minister in the Prime Minister's Department, Ahmad Maslan, who was also at the jetty to welcome the fishermen home, said the release of the fishermen reflected the harmonious relationship between Malaysia and Indonesia. "This is a historic event because never before has a Malaysian citizen been given amnesty by the Indonesian President. I really appreciate it," he added. Ahmad also thanked Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak for discussing the matter with his Indonesian counterpart which led to the release of the fishermen concerned. "I have informed this to the Prime Minister and he is very happy with the good news," he added. -- BERNAMA