Malaysian Students In Indonesia Advised To Carry Residency Documents

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA, Dec 2 (Bernama) -- Malaysian students studying in Indonesia are advised to obtain a certificate of residency and local identification card to avoid any action taken by Indonesian authorities. Malaysian Education Attaché in Indonesia Ludinata Misnun said the matter should not be taken lightly as they had been briefed of the requirement before. He was asked to comment on an advisory from the Medan Registration Department to several Malaysian students in Medan, North Sumatra, Wednesday, after they were found without any of the required documents. Its head of department, Drs Darussalam Pohan, had reminded them that foreign students who did not own or carry the relevant documents could be fined Rp100,000 (RM35). Darussalam said this disregard among foreign students, including those from Malaysia, should not occur as they now reside in a foreign country and need to carry such documents. "If they (foreign students) do not arrange for their certificate of residency, they will be fined Rp100,000 (RM35)," he said as reported in the local media. Indonesian laws also state that foreigners in the country who have obtained Permanent Residency or Limited Residency, but did not carry these documents, can also be slapped with a Rp100,000 fine. Malaysian Consul General in Medan, Norlin Othman said they would help resolve the issue on the identification documents for Malaysian students, but she hoped student agents would also help in the matter. She also hoped that the Malaysian government would employ a student affairs officer in Medan to help monitor almost 1,500 students. -- BERNAMA