Kota Kinabalu: Some 347 Indonesian couples working in Sabah will have their marriages solemnised at the Indonesian Consulate premise here through a programme called “Itsbat Nikah”.
The event from Dec 12 till 15 is carried out by the Indonesian Religious Court led by Drs H. Gunawan, M.H.
Its Consul-General Rafail Walangitan said the event was revived after a two-year halt due to the Covid-19 pandemic.
“We are doing our best to assist fellow citizens living in Sabah legalise their marriage so that the future of their children is better with proper documentation.
“This marriage rite is based on Muslim law and a way to protect not only the couples but also the rights and status of the children in future,” said Rafail.
It was the biggest outreach programme outside their country. The latest mass solemnisation is the ninth since 2011 and it was noted that the number of couples planning for the union been increasing.
After the official solemnisation, couples had their photograph sessions which they could bring home for remembrance.
Meanwhile, Jakarta would soon impose a no-entry list for Malaysian employers who abuse Indonesian workers, according to its ambassador Hermono.
The Indonesian envoy to Malaysia said the travel blacklist is part of beefed up measures to prevent exploitation of its citizens working here.
“National dignity is above all else,” he was quoted as saying.
According to the news report, the Indonesian Decree of the Minister of Law and Human Rights Number 38 made in 2001 empowers its envoys to make requests to ban entry to certain travellers for reasons that include exploitation of Indonesian citizens.
The first Malaysians who could be subject to the travel blacklist are reportedly husband-and-wife Radzuan Abu Hadzim and Rosnajihah Ramli, who were recently acquitted of human trafficking charges on December 9, Malaysiakini reported.
“Radzuan and Rosnajihah may have been acquitted of trafficking charges under Section 12 of the amended Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007/22 (Atipsom), but if justice is not served, they will be the first Malaysians barred entry into Indonesia for exploiting their Indonesian worker,” Hermono was quoted as saying.
He also indicated that it would not make a difference if the Indonesians reported to be abused are undocumented workers or otherwise, or whether the Malaysian employers have been convicted in court or otherwise.
Hermano told Malaysiakini that many Malaysian employers hire undocumented Indonesians and falsely promise to get them proper working papers only to stall on paying them wages on the belief that they would not be reported.
“They are also confident the law will not catch up with them because the worker was always free to walk out of the house anytime,” he was quoted as saying.
He held up the court verdict on Yati’s Atipsom case as an example to back his assertion.
Indonesians represent the largest group of migrant labour in Malaysia.
