Mkini's Vinothaa first foreign journalist recognised in Indonesian award 

Malaysiakini journalist S Vinothaa was awarded Indonesia’s prestigious Hassan Wirajuda Protection Award 2022 in Jakarta last night for her reporting on issues affecting its citizens in Malaysia.

She is the first foreign journalist to receive the award and the second Malaysian to be recognised by the country since the inception of the annual event in 2015.

Indonesia’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, received an award under the head of missions category for his instrumental role in successfully bringing to completion the long-drawn-out negotiations on the memorandum of understanding between the two countries in the employment and protection of domestic migrant workers.

Vinothaa (above, second from right) dedicated her award to Malaysiakini for being the voice for the voiceless in Malaysia.

“It’s truly an honour to receive such a prestigious award from the government of Indonesia, but I could not have done it if not for the dedication of Malaysiakini toward its true reporting to shine a light on the downtrodden.

“And I am glad our compasses align because that is what brought me back into journalism after 20 years.

”His excellency Hermono played an important role in this as he included me in his endeavours to bring justice to the oppressed, especially toward the protection of domestic migrant workers in Malaysia,” she added.

Vinothaa said domestic workers needed special attention as it was predominantly women in the job who were explicitly discriminated against in the country’s labour laws.

She hoped that the country’s new regime would ensure discriminative clauses were repealed.

The award ceremony coincided with Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim’s official visit to Indonesia and Hermono pointed out its historic significance in the bilateral relations between the two countries.

“It’s not only the day of the presentation of the Hassan Wirajuda Protection Award to those who played a role in migrant protection but the prime minister of Malaysia has pledged to address the issue.

“He has a passion to address the situation because he, too, as he described, experienced the hardship of the oppressed,” Hermono said.

He viewed his award as a recognition of not just his work but all who were concerned with the protection of migrant workers, such as the civil society, volunteers and the media.

Malaysia with most awardees

Approximately 80 names from 15 countries with a high concentration of cases were nominated from around the world under eight categories for the 2022 awards.

After three months of vetting and investigation into the nominees by a panel of jury comprising experienced academicians and human rights leaders, 22 awardees were selected.

Malaysia saw the highest number of awardees - who included two other Indonesians recognised for their outstanding role in raising the standards of the migrant communities in Malaysia.

Sony Jaya Muslihat, based in Kuching, was recognised for his efforts in helping Indonesian migrants claim their unpaid wages and return home.

Mimin Mintarsih, who is based in Kuala Lumpur, was recognised for her long-standing effort to ensure access to education for migrant children, right up to their secondary school level.

Indonesia to focus on prevention

Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi presented the awards to 15 of the 22 recipients who were present in Jakarta last night.

She said between 2021 and 2022, Indonesian migrant cases, globally, increased from 29,000 to 35,000 and she is optimistic about addressing the issues at their root with the help of stakeholders and partners around the world.

Retno stressed the importance of preventive efforts by providing protection in every stage of migration.

Director of protection of Indonesian citizens from the country’s Foreign Affairs Ministry, Judha Nugraha, cited a 2017 World Bank report that estimated nine million Indonesians were living as migrants around the world.

He said they faced different forms of threats that ranged from being in war-torn Ukraine to labour violations and abuses.

Judha said this complicated protection efforts, especially for such a large body of people spread across the world and relied a lot on the close collaboration with stakeholders.

“So the purpose of this award is to give an appreciation to all those who have showcased their ability to go beyond the call of duty in the protection of Indonesians living abroad.

“The award appreciation is also meant to inspire other stakeholders,” he explained.

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