Indonesian Workers in Cameron Highlands

There are many Indonesian workers in Cameron Highlands. There are about 2,000 of them working here in the Malaysian highlands. After all, Malaysia is just across the straights, easy to come over and we speak almost the same language (well there are some differences in the Malay usage, but we can get by). Malaysia seem to be the country of choice for many migrant workers coming from Myanmar, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Pakistan, Philippines and of course Indonesia too.

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Indonesian workers slam anti-Malaysia activists
By Ivan Loh
Monday September 27, 2010

CAMERON HIGHLANDS: A group of Indonesian workers here have denounced anti-Malaysia activists in their homeland for attempting to disrupt the peace in the country which provides their bread and butter.

Holding placards that say they want peace, the group of about 50 men and women gathered at the Tanah Rata bus terminal at noon for about 20 minutes yesterday to voice their concern about the strained relations between Malaysia and Indonesia.

"We hope Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono could reach a solution to bring peace again between the two countries," said their spokesman Mbah Mad.

"We just want to live peacefully here and do not want to see two 'brothers' fighting," he said, adding that he was speaking for about 2,000 Indonesians working here.

Most of them are labourers, farm workers and restaurant helpers.

Mbah Mad said there have not been any abuse case against Indonesians here. The group carried a banner calling Bendera (the so-called People's Bastion for Democracy) to stop disrupting the peace in Malaysia, referring to recent protests outside the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta which saw activists shouting Ganyang Malaysia (Crush Malaysia) as well as burning the Jalur Gemilang and threatening to harm Malaysians.

Such demonstrations had been sporadically held before but increased after three Indonesian maritime officers were detained by Malaysian authorities in August.

Reacting to Bendera's actions, Mbah Mad said: "We are happy here in Malaysia.

"Who is going to look after us when we are not guaranteed jobs back home?" -- The Star News