Indonesian fishermen in Sabah to be allowed to return home following kidnappings

KOTA KINABALU: Indonesian fishermen working in Sabah will be allowed to return home following security concerns.

Indonesian Consul-General in Kota Kinabalu Krishna Djelani  said many of the workers here have expressed concerns over the kidnappings of Indonesian nationals in Sabah waters.

“This uncertainty in Sabah’s east coast poses threats to our nationals, and we want to send them home if they want to go.”

He said the consul’s office was in the process of gathering information and details of those who wish to leave Sabah.

“There are so far more than 30 fishermen from Sandakan and Tawau who have expressed their wish to go home, as they do not want to be the next kidnap victim,” Djelani said.

In this respect, he urged employers to be more thoughtful of their workers and to help the next-of-kin  of kidnap victims who have no one else to turn to for a living.

“Employers here can at least help to feed the victims’ families back home,” he said.

He said of the 300,000 registered Indonesian workers in Sabah, some 1,700 are fishermen.

A total of 36 Indonesians have been reported kidnapped since 2003.

Most of the victims have been released but those from the two latest incidents - one taken from Pulau Gaya, Semporna and two in Pegasus Reef, Kinabatangan, and a handful of others - are still in the hands of their captives, Djelani said during a press conference here on Monday (Dec 17).

Employers in Sabah are also urged to install security systems in their vessels to better protect their workers at sea.