Indonesian labour activists are planning to hold more demonstrations in Jakarta next week to protest against the Malaysian governments plan to deport Indonesian workers following violent clashes with police last week.

The Consortium for Indonesian Migrant Workers Defence, or Kopbumi, said today that it planned to hold larger demonstrations of at least 100 people outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta, as well as at Malaysian consulates in other parts of the country.

We ask the Malaysian police to investigate the matter and not deal with the problem by simply deporting the Indonesian workers, said Wahyu Susilo, Kopbumis executive secretary when contacted by malaysiakini today.

Last Tuesday, Kopbumi organised a protest in front of the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta to demand that the Malaysian government abandons its plan to repatriate half the number of registered Indonesian workers.

Some 40 people, including activists from the Jakarta Legal Aid (LBH Jakarta), arrived at the embassy bearing placards with messages such as Do not forget the contributions of Indonesian workers and Stop discrimination against Indonesian workers.

Another placard also said Umno! Stop buying Indonesian workers voices for elections.

Kopbumi also called for the Malaysian government to revoke policies halting the recruitment of Indonesian workers and to stop exploitation of Indonesians by the authorities.

Clarify allegations

According to Wahyu, Kopbumi will be in contact with those who have been deported earlier in order to clarify allegations of mistreatment by Malaysian authorities while in detention

When asked, Wahyu said that the Malaysian embassy representatives addressed the demonstrators and assured them that Malaysians recognise the contribution of Indonesian workers to the countrys development.

He added that Kopbumi will be speaking with Indonesian authorities before representatives of the two governments meet to discuss the migrant workers issue in the near future, although a fixed date had not yet been determined.

According to Wahyu, the Indonesian Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Jacob Nuwa Wea had consulted Kopbumi reports before briefing Vice-President Hamzah Haz on the labour crisis earlier this week.

Wahyu was quoted in a Jakarta Post report yesterday as saying that the plan by the Malaysian government to cut the number of Indonesian workers in the country by half is unfair and an a form of discrimination against the universal principles of human rights.

Wahyu also dismissed attempts by the government to play down speculation that the issue had jeopardised diplomatic ties between the two countries.

The migrant workers dispute shows that bilateral relations between Indonesia and Malaysia are in crisis, he reportedly said.

Economic contribution

Indonesian workers make up 566,983 out of a total of 769,566 legal foreign workers in the Malaysia.

However, the total number of Indonesian workers in the country including those who entered the country illegally is about 2-3 million.

According to the Indonesian manpower ministry, Indonesian workers abroad contributed US$2.6 billion to the Indonesian economy and US$61.4 million is from Malaysia.

The labour crisis started when 500 Indonesian migrant workers rioted at a hostel in Nilai after Malaysian authorities attempted to arrest 16 workers for failing a drug test.

Following the incident, the Home Ministry said it would initiate a recruit Indonesian workers last policy to reduce their number.