Don't Seek Work in Malaysia Without Proper Document: Ambassador

Kuala Lumpur (Antara) - Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno warned Indonesians not to seek work in Malaysia without proper documents. Expatriates in Malaysia are required to have complete documents including passport, working contract, working visa and other documents, Herman said. "Indonesians wanting to work in Malaytsia must follow the official procedure," he said here on Wednesday. Herman's warning came after the Malaysian police launched nation wide raid against illegal immigrants, mostly workers. Around 1,900 illegal immigrants including 695 Indonesians were arrested in the first day of raid after the Malaysian government closed registration for foreign workers on Tuesday. Herman told Indonesian job seekers not to be cheated by illegal worker recruitment agents promising jobs in Malaysia. He said the embassy would continue to monitor the condition of the illegal Indonesian immigrants arrested by the Malaysian authorities. Deportation of the Indonesians should be propertly handled and safely , he said. Those arrested as illegal immigrants should seek document like passport (SPLP) to allow them to return home to Indonesia. They could come back to Malaysia with proper documents and procedure agreed upon by the two countries, Herman said. The Malaysian government, however, said they had been blacklisted and are no longer allowed to enter Malaysia. An official of the Indonesian embassy here Dino Nurwahyudin said the embassy is ready to face a surge in applications for passport or SPLP from those wanting to return to Indonesia. "We are ready to serve 1,000 applicants per day . In the event of a surge in the number of applicantions we would ask for support from the foreign ministry and the immigration office in Jakarta," Dino said. The Indonesian embassy asked the Indonesian illegal immigrants to report to the embassy if they were treated badly or they things were confiscated by the Malaysian authorities. Based on the Vienna convention, illegal immigrants are given 3 times 24 hours to report to the representative office of their respective countries, Dino said. Malaysian Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Ahmad Zahid Hamidi said the illegal immigrants would be deported to their respective countries in seven days with cost to be paid by their government or employers. The illegal immigrants are blacklisted by the Malaysian immigrant office, therefore they would never be allowed to enter Malaysia, Datuk Seri Ahmad was quoted as saying. Those arrested in the first day of nation wide raid also included illegal immigrants from Bangladesh (255), Myanmar (157), Cambodia, Vietnam, India, Pakistan, the Philippines, China, Nigeria and Thailand. (*)