Sigit (second, right) giving ‘nasi tumpeng’ to Mohd Hairi at a ceremony to mark Indonesia’s independence celebration in Johor Baru. — THOMAS YONG/The Star
BuiLDING ferry terminals for cargo lorries to transport goods from two Indonesian islands to Johor and Melaka will further boost trade between the two countries.
Indonesian consul-general in Johor Baru Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto said adding two roll-on, roll-off (RoRo) ferry services between Batam and Johor as well as Dumai and Melaka were being discussed.
The consul-general had previously brought up the feasibility of having a cargo ferry service between Batam and Johor, but is now proposing an additional route from Dumai to Melaka.
“We need to look into the related regulations of both countries, and other technicalities.
Indonesian Consul-General in Johor Baru Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto playing the keyboard to entertain his guests in conjunction with the 79th anniversary celebration of Indonesia’s independence during a grand celebration in Johor Baru.
“So far, Johor and Melaka have been positive about the idea,” he said, adding that Johor Mentri Besar Datuk Onn Hafiz Ghazi had visited the Batam port.
The points previously proposed were Batam’s Batu Ampar Port and Johor’s Tanjung Belungkor Ferry Terminal in Kota Tinggi.
The aim is to accommodate up to 70 lorries onto a RoRo ferry each way.
He said presently, Indonesian and Malaysian vehicles travelled into either country via land along the Kalimantan border with Sabah and Sarawak.
“Now, we just need to fine-tune the regulations for water transport in Peninsular Malaysia,” he said during an interview in conjunction with the 79th anniversary of Indonesia’s independence.
The top three imports into Indonesia from Malaysia include mechanical machinery and equipment, plastics and organic chemicals.
Malaysia imports mineral fuels, copper, animal/vegetable fats and oils from Indonesia.
It is learnt that in the first quarter of this year, items worth RM26.7bil were exported to Indonesia while imports into Malaysia were worth RM28.7bil.
On improving connectivity, Sigit said Indonesia was also looking at opening another route from Johor to Pulau Bintan.
“We have ferry services to Batam, Tanjung Pinang and Bengkalis,” he said, adding that improving connectivity would not just spur economic activities but also boost tourism.
He added that the Indonesian consulate in Johor has engaged with a local school to teach students Indonesian culture, especially its dances.
“We also have free classes to teach Javanese culture to people in Muar and Batu Pahat,” he said.
Asked about new initiatives, Sigit said Indonesia has also launched its programme, similar to Malaysia My Second Home, known as the “golden visa”.
“There are nine types of visa allowing people to stay for a longer time in Indonesia.
“We are attracting investors and companies to do business in our country,” he said, adding that for individuals, the investment amount was about US$350,000 (RM1.5mil).
On issues affecting Indonesians in Malaysia, Sigit said the consulate office in Johor Baru was looking after the welfare of more than 109,000 Indonesian workers in Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Pahang.
“We always urge our citizens to work legally and go through the proper channels when seeking employment in Malaysia.
“Among the main problems Indonesians face are misuse of visas, especially overstaying, and working without a valid work permit or proper documents,” he said, adding that these issues could cause employees to work without getting proper wages and they could also easily be abused or discriminated against.
He added that the consulate had also mediated and helped recover wages for many of its citizens who faced discrimination in various sectors.
“In one case, there was a payout of almost RM100,000 because an Indonesian maid was not paid for 20 years,” he said, adding that the consulate had a good working relationship with various Malaysian enforcement and labour agencies.
The event, attended by about 500 people, also saw the participation of Johor youth, sports and entrepreneur development and cooperatives committee chairman Mohd Hairi Mad Shah who represented Onn Hafiz.
Besides being served Indonesian delicacies and pastries, guests were also entertained with Indonesian music and dances including gamelan mulut (mouth gamelan).
