IMWA a boon for Indonesian workers in S'wak

KUCHING: The Indonesian Migrant Workers Awards (IMWA) has helped Indonesian workers and their respective employers in creating a conducive work environment.
IMWA chairman Andre Suharto said the positive impact of IMWA benefits all stakeholders namely the workers, employers, Sarawak State Government, Consulate-General of the Republic of Indonesia and the community.
"The nominated Indonesian workers were inspired, touched and proud of the treatment and attention given by their respective employers and the Consulate-General of the Republic of Indonesia as well as the efforts of the IMWA organising committee members for making the effort to visit the workers at their workplaces.
"The program has uplifted the morale of the workers because they no longer feel that they are just being treated as cheap labour but they now believe that their employers see the potential in them as responsible, disciplined and law-abiding workers who are not only committed to their work but also committed to contributing to social activities," he said in his speech at IMWA 2017 here last night.
Also present were Sarawak Utilities Minister Datuk Seri Stephen Rundi and Consul-General of the Republic of Indonesia in Kuching, Jahar Gultom.

IMWA 2017 attracted 109 nominees with sponsorship money totaling RM447,000.00 contributed by 20 companies.
Meanwhile, Jahar said IMWA was first conceived as a new approach for the protection of Indonesian workers in Sarawak and through the IMWA they recognised some of the most outstanding Indonesian migrant workers in Sarawak.
"We hope that this will motivate and inspire the Indonesian workers to showcase their best performance in their jobs, follow the correct procedures of employment, and minimize the issues that often arise from illegal employment. It is also aimed to strengthen the working relationship between the Indonesian Consulate-General in Kuching," he said.
Jahar said the previous IMWA in 2015 saw 64 nominees from the plantation, timber and Construction/Manufacturing industries.
"In IMWA 2017, we managed to increase the number of nominees to 109 from the same three categories. This goes to show the level of acknowledgement on the benefits of IMWA from the companies and the Indonesian migrant workers in Sarawak.
"In addition, we also found better cooperation and good understanding with the industries in giving promotions and protection to Indonesian workers in Sarawak," he said. — Bernama