President Sends Martuh to Submit Letter to King Over Satinah

Jakarta (Antara) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono planned to send former religious affairs minister Maftuh Basyuni to Saudi Arabia to submit a letter to King Abdullah in connection with the case of Indonesian migrant worker Satinah. Presidential special staff for international affairs Teuku Faizasyah told Antara here on Friday afternoon that Maftuh Basyuni will be accompanied by several officials. He said he did not know yet when Maftuh will depart, but he believed it will be soon. President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono together with a number of cabinet ministers had held a limited cabinet meeting to discuss Indonesian migrant workers abroad, including Satinah who is now facing a death penalty in Saudi Arabia. "We discussed legal aid for all citizens living and working abroad," President Yudhoyono said at the presidential office here on Wednesday. President Yudhoyono said the government had always provided legal aid to all citizens having legal issues in the countries they were working. He said he had always handled and sought the right solutions for their problems in the past 10 years of his presidency. Regarding Satinah, he said the government had given an explanation through the coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs Djoko Suyanto and admitted that it was a sensitive matter. President Yudhoyono said he could understand the public outcry over reports of citizens being sentenced abroad. He said the government was determined to continue improving the education of the citizens who work abroad as migrant workers. In the meeting, the President also discussed about the "diat" (compensation) demanded by the victim's family for freeing Satinah from the death penalty and would sign a request for the extension of the date of execution so that the diat issue could be further discussed. (*)