THERE are about 52,000 Indonesians working throughout Sarawak now.
The latest figures were derived from an ongoing exercise pertaining to the registration of foreign workers and repatriation of illegal ones as well as those who had overstayed in Sarawak.
The number was revealed by Indonesian Consulate General office head Sigit Witjaksono Raden in Kuching.
Speaking during an event at his office, he said that so far this year, about a thousand Indonesians have been sent home from Sarawak.
"They were repatriated due to reasons like having no legal entry, working illegally and overstaying. We still have about 52,000 Indonesians working in this state now.
"The majority are in the plantation industries, manufacturing and agriculture sectors and also in the services industries," he said.
Raden added there are sizeable number who had returned willingly to their home provinces in Indonesia from Sarawak.
Indonesian workers in Sarawak have faced multiple issues relating to illegal entries. Some of them have also been treated badly by local employers.
On June 15, 2023, an Indonesian maid working in Sarawak was allegedly denied pay and denied freedom to communicate with her family in Kalimantan Indonesia for the past 17 years.
The Indonesian Consulate General office had intervened and rescued the woman from an employer in Bintulu in northern Sarawak. – March 27, 2025
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