FRIDAY 1 JULY 2008- NO WORD ON AMNESTY FOR ILLEGALS: CONSUL

No word on amnesty for illegals: Consul

TAWAU:

The Indonesian Consulate here has not received any official notification from the In done sian Consulate in Kota Kinabalu Dodi on whether Indonesian illegal workers in Sabah would be arrested or be given an amnesty. Its Consul here Dodi Karnida Ha said if they were given amnesty, the Indonesians could process their identity documents in Sabah with their birth certificates or outdated passports. They should bring their valid passport to the Immigration Department throughout the State for legalisation, he said. On the other hand, if the Indonesians are flushed out from Sabah, they could process their identity documents in Indonesia and their employers here may later process their applications with the Immigration Department, he added. “After that, they may be allowed to work in the State with the relevant documents and after approval from the relevant Departments,” he told reporters at his office here yesterday. According to Dodi, more than 200 Indonesians have come forward to the liaison office here daily to process their documents since July 28 this year in anticipation of the massive crackdown. Most of them bring along their birth certificate, updated passportl or temporary visit card to get their passport from the Consulate. Some, however, are also renewing1 their passort with a guarantee from their family members, knowing that if they do not refer their passport’ with the Immigration Department here they would be considered illegal immigrants. Dodi expressed the hope that they will go back to Indonesia immediately and process their documents there. Some employers of illegal workers here have not fully paid their wages, he said, adding that the Consulate here has been receiving about three complaints every week from the workers against their employers. “We will meet the employer and then write a letter to the Labour Department here for further action. Although the number of complaints is very low, the matter can be solved completely,” he said. A large number of Indonesians seen queuing up outside the consulate office in Tawau for passport application.