Malaysia deports 1,500 workers hailing from North Sumatra

02/08/09 05:47

Medan,  (ANTARA News) - Some 1,500 Indonesian workers hailing from North Sumatra were deported from Malaysia during the past few days as a result of economic crisis hitting the neighboring country.

"At least 208 of the deportees had to come home as their work contracts had expired," Drs H. Sumadi, the head of the manpower services, placement and protection office of North Sumatra, said here on Saturday.

However, Sumadi further said the main factor of the workers` repatriation was the fact that their work contracts were terminated and were on leave.

According to him, work opportunities in Malaysia were wide open especially in the non-formal sector like farming, cleaning service, construction, house helper and restaurant.

"Other formal sector still open for job seekers is the field of plantation, while that for electronic is still limited," he said.

With existing job opportunity in non formal sector, Sumadi felt optimistic that the target to send around 10,000 workers to Malaysia could be realized.

Earlier, Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Dai Bachtiar said, in 2009 around 100,000 workers from Malaysia would return to their villages in Indonesia following economic crisis in that country.

Manpower and Transmigration Minister Erman Suparno said the return of 100,000 workers from Malaysia this year had been predicted. (*)

Link: http://www.antara.co.id/en/arc/2009/2/8/malaysia-deports-1-500-workers-hailing-from-north-sumatra/