Tanjungpinang, Riau Islands (ANTARA News) - Indonesian workers (TKI) in Malaysia are scared of the strained relations between Indonesia and Malaysia following the arrest recently of Indonesian maritime patrol officers by Malaysian police, an official said.

"We have got a lot of information on the negative impact of the increasing tension of the two countries," Johny Worotikan, Head of Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers for Riau said here on Sunday.

He said that a number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia had to take a leave because they were scared of the strained relations should they eventually broke into war.

"They were afraid of staying in Malaysia and chose to take a leave for their home towns in Indonesia," Johny said.

He said that Indonesian workers who had taken a leave would return to Malaysia after the relations between the two nations had calmed down.

"However, it is likely difficult for them to regain their jobs if they took a leave too long," he said.

He said that Indonesians working in Malaysia without official documents were scared most.

However, so far there was no bad treatment experienced by Indonesian workers in Malaysia since the outbreak of the "opinion war" between the two nations. (*)

Editor: B Kunto Wibisono
COPYRIGHT © 2012

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