Indonesian Embassy: Victims Of PMI Torture In Malaysia Depart Non-Procedurally

JAKARTA The case of torture of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) from West Sumatra in Malaysia has again highlighted serious issues related to the departure of non-procedural or illegal workers abroad. The Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Dato' Indera Hermono, emphasized that cases of violence like this often happen to PMIs who depart without official channels.

Victims who suffered bruises and burns as a result of being tortured by their employers were known to enter Malaysia as tourists before working illegally. This non-procedural status makes victims not registered and unprotected in the official employment system, making them vulnerable to exploitation.

The PMIs who were victims of persecution were non-procedural workers. He entered as a traveler, but then worked in Malaysia," Hermono said, quoted by Antara, Wednesday, November 19.

Ambassador Hermono emphasized that the rise of non-procedural migrant workers actually made a memorandum of understanding (MoU) for the protection of domestic workers between Indonesia and Malaysia to be ineffective. Without preventing illegal departures, according to him, the agreement between the two countries would not be able to provide optimal protection.

"If there is no interceptor, then this MoU is useless. We cannot implement the MoU properly if non-procedural workers continue to flow," he said.

He emphasized that the role of Indonesian immigration is very crucial in stopping this practice. Non-procedural workers do not go through BP2MI or labor services, but only pass immigration when making passports and when leaving the country.

Who made the passport? Immigration. Who checked them when they left Indonesia? Immigration too. It was the only agency that was passed, "said Hermono.

This torture case involved a husband and wife of Malaysians who were co-assistent doctors. The victim had fled by dropping from the 29th floor window of the condominium to save himself and is now under the protection of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur.

Hermono urged the Malaysian authorities to take action against the perpetrators according to the law, as well as ask the Indonesian government to strengthen the surveillance system so that no more citizens are dispatched without procedures and without national protection.