A coalition of migrant worker organizations reported House of Representatives Deputy Speaker Fahri Hamzah to the Houses ethics council today.
Fahri was reported over his derogatory comment.
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Indonesian children are begging and turning into servants abroad, while foreign workers are everywhere, he tweeted on Tuesday. Fahri immediately removed the tweet, but Twitter users were faster. The tweet had been captured and spread around before Fahri knew it.
Migrant Care executive director Anis Hidayah, who is also a representative of the coalition, said that the comment is insulting Indonesian migrant workers.
Whether it was a slip of tongue or it really was his stance towards migrant workers, only he knows, she told Brilio. But the comment is really inappropriate, especially when he is a public servant.
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Anis insisted that this is more than just a matter of using wrong words.
If his perspective is already condescending (towards migrant workers) what can we expect from him? she said. The House has been working on Migrant Workers Law since 2010 but we havent heard any progress about it. Around 80 percent of the current law needs revising to protect our workers better.
The coalition demanded the ethics council to consider dismissing Fahri from his post as head of migrant workers supervision team and deputy speaker.
Fahri has apologized for his comment through Twitter, but people are still outraged. Even the Manpower Minister Hanif Dhakiri couldnt help but subtly denounce Fahri.
Sy anak babu. Ibu sy bekerja mjd TKI scr terhormat. Tdk mengemis, tdk sakiti org, tdk curi uang rakyat. Saya bangga pd Ibu. #MaafkanFahriBu
— MHD (@hanifdhakiri) January 24, 2017
Im a son of a servant. My mother worked as Indonesian Migrant Worker with dignity. She didnt beg, hurt others, nor stole peoples money. I am proud of my mother. #ForgiveFahriMom, he tweeted on Tuesday.
Hanif declined to give further comment on this issue. Our migrant workers friends have responded. Let them judge, let the public (do it), he told reporters on Wednesday.