Thousands of Indonesia Citizens Expelled from Malaysia

Nunukan, E Kalimantan (Antara) - At least 1,025 Indonesian citizens were expelled by the Malaysian government through the border in Nunukan District of North Kalimantan until the first quarter on 2014. "There were 1,025 Indonesian citizens who repatriated from Sabah of Malaysia through Nunukan border gate during the first quarter of 2014," the Chief of Immigration Checking Unit of Tunon Taka International Port Nasution stated here on Friday. According to the data from the agency, there are 798 male and 227 female from 1,025 repatriated people. Nasution noted that the Malaysian government was forced to repatriate the people because they did not have legal immigration documents and were involved in criminal activities such as drugs abuse and robberies in Sabah State. According to the report from the Indonesian Consulate in Tawau, Nasution pointed out that from the total number, at least 318 persons were repatriated in January, 318 in February, 269 in March and 120 people in April 2014. Nasution added that out of the total repatriated people, 634 came from South Sulawesi, 197 from East Nusa Tenggara, 33 from Java Island, 26 Central Sulawesi, five each from West Nusa Tenggara and North Kalimantan, three from West Kalimantan as well as one each from South Kalimantan and South East Sulawesi. Some Indonesian citizens who are expelled from the country mostly preferred to work in Sabah State. Only some of them chose to return to their hometown, Nasution remarked. The Task Force for Troubled Indonesian Citizen has asked the expelled citizens to complete proper and legal immigrant documents to be able to work in Malaysia. (*)