The Indonesian government has been told not to make unjustified accusation that 100,000 Indonesian illegal migrant workers in Malaysia have not been paid their wages.

"We are still waiting for the report from the Indonesian Embassy. I don't think it's fair for them (Indonesia) to keep on accusing us in general terms without giving any details. If the news is out in the Indonesian papers, (this will) tarnish our image." said Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn today.

He said the director general of the ministry has met with Indonesian Embassy officers this morning but was not provided any details of the matter.

"They have not given us any names. We are still waiting for them to furnish the details," he told a press conference at his ministry.

Fong was responding to the Indonesian Labour and Transmigration Minister Fahmi Idris's claim that the main reason why Indonesian workers refuse to return was due to their unpaid wages.

In his exclusive interview with malaysiakini , Fahmi also said that the Indonesian government will take legal action on behalf of the workers if no serious action was taken by the Malaysian government against the unscrupulous employers.

Fong also said the ministry has opened a hotline (03-8888 9111) specially to deal with the unpaid wages claimed by the illegal migrant workers.

"In Malaysia we have a culture of paying the workers. We have a judiciary system to deal with disputes over unpaid wages," he stressed.

Workers paid

On the wage dispute involving 90 illegal Indonesian migrant workers and a local construction company, Fong insisted that investigations revealed that the contractor has already paid the workers.

"We've investigated and found it's true that all the money due to the workers are paid by the contractor to the sub-sub contractor," he said.

However, he refused to divulge the identity of the 'sub-sub contractor'.

The 90 Indonesian illegal migrant workers have accused their employer Sri Mega Jaya (M) Sdn Bhd has shortchanged their wages amounting to RM150,000 after working at a condominium project at Damansara Damai since September.

The main contractor of the project is Plato Construction (M) Sdn Bhd which is owned by MK Land Holdings.

The workers have also sent a letter to MK Land Holdings, urging its executive chairperson Mustapha Kamal Abu Bakar to look into the matter. MK Land in turns, has denied it has employed any illegal migrant workers.

On Feb 18, the workers also filed a police report against Human Resources Minister Dr Fong Chan Onn based on his statement that Sri Mega Jaya had paid the wages, which according to him amounted to RM500,000, to an intermediary who had since absconded.

On Monday, the workers also filed a claim at the labour department and was unconventionally accepted.

The labour department will deal with the case and possibly bring it to the labour court, the minister said.