Death of The Indonesian Worker Informed to His Family after 4 Months

Kompas.com, Sabtu, 4 Desember 2010  

LOMBOK BARAT, KOMPAS.com - The family of a male worker from West Lombok  who died in Saudi Arabia last August  was informed about the fact only after his body had lain in a Saudi hospital for four months, a local migrant workers protection activist said.

"The family of Fathul Mubaroq (21) knew about his death only after receiving word from the Indonesian Embassy in Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago," Nurzaini of the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Commission (KPTKI), said here Friday.

     

He said he and Fathul’s family deplored the fact that the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia had given the information after Fathul’s body had been kept at a local hospital for four months. Noting that Fathul had reportedly died in August during a robbery at his employer’s residence, Nurzaini said under existing regulations, the Indonesian Embassy should have informed the family about his death within 3 X 24 hours.

Fathul’s father, H Faizul, knew about his son’s death only after receiving a letter from the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia a few weeks ago explaining arrangements for the payment of insurance money and asking where the family wanted him to be buried : in Saudi Arabia or in Indonesia.

    

Faizul had only recently sent a reply to  the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia giving the embassy permission to bury his son in Saudi Arabia, Nurzaini said.

    

"The letter from Fathul’s father might now still be on its way to the Indonesian embassy in Saudi Arabia so that Fathul’s body has to remain in the hospital for some more time,"  he said.

    

Fathul was reported to have been fatally shot when a robbery happened at his employer’s house. Therefore, the Indonesian Embassy should conduct its own investigation into the case, Nurzaini said. Meanwhile,  KPTKI  had found out that Fathul had been  sent to Saudi Arabia by manpower recruitment  agency PT Dasa Graha.