Indonesian Workers in Taiwan Win Mandarin Speech Contest

Beijing (Antaranews Jatim) - Three Indonesian workers in Taiwan have won awards in the Mandarin speech contest in Taipei.

In addition to receiving the trophy, the three migrant workers were also entitled to the main prize worth millions of rupiah, according to a statement from the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (KDEI) in Taipei received by Antara here Monday.

The three Indonesian workers winning the contest are Dessy Riana, who came first, as well as Ucik Prasetyaningsih and Herpianti Togatorop, who stood second and third respectively.

They defeated more than 50 other foreign labor participants from Vietnam and the Philippines.

At the competition, Riana delivered a speech titled "My Village" that described the acculturation of Indonesian and Chinese cultures in Palembang, South Sumatra.

"There are many cultures in Palembang influenced by Chinese cultures, from culinary, clothing, to places of worship," the migrant worker from Palembang, who has been working in Taiwan for eight years, stated.The woman, who works as a nurse, completed her speech with supporting images about Palembang's cultures with Chinese cultural touches.

Riana's appearance enthralled the judges, who deemed her a worthy recipient of a trophy and cash prize of NTD20 thousand, or some Rp9.4 million.

Meanwhile, Prasetyaningsih gave a speech on batik.

"Batik in my eyes is like a very beautiful painting," she noted, adding that the cash prize of NTD15 thousand, or some Rp7.05 million, would be used to buy a new television for her parents in her hometown in Ponorogo District, East Java.

Togatorop, who stood third, appeared in a Toba Batak outfit that was in accordance with the theme of his speech on Lake Toba in North Sumatra.

"I want to introduce how vast Indonesia is," stated Togatorop, who won a trophy and NTD12 thousand, or some Rp5.64 million.

Head of the Labor Division at KDEI Sri Indah Wijayanti expressed pride over the achievements of Indonesian workers.

"Hopefully, these achievements would inspire other migrant workers. We also express our gratitude to Taiwan's government and all parties for organizing this event," she noted.(*)