Indonesians working at Egyptian Presidential Palace safe

Antara News, Sun, February 13 2011

Cairo (ANTARA News) - The resignation of Egyptian leader Hosni Mubarak did not affect the safety and security of Indonesian housemaids working at the presidential palace, an Indonesian diplomat said.

"They are in secured condition," spokesman of the Indonesian Embassy in Cairo Muhammad Abdullah told ANTARA here Sunday.

Abdullah said there were five Indonesian women recruited by the Egyptian chamberlain several months ago to work at the presidential palace.

The recruitment of Indonesian women for working for the Mubaraks was not the first time for Indonesian migrant workers, because it had been conducted many times in the past, he said.

The Egyptian chamberlain had even requested the Indonesian embassy during the era of Quraish Shihab (1999-2002) for seeking for credible domestic helpers for ousted president Hosni Mubarak`s family, he said.

Meanwhile, nine of 11 troubled Indonesian migrant workers had been sent home after given shelter at the embassy, he said.

They had been repatriated along with some other Indonesians in Eqypt who had been evacuated by the Indonesian government for security reason, he said.

Two other migrant workers refused to be repatriated because they still were still trying to get their unpaid salaries from their employers, he said.

One of the ill-fated worker was quoted as saying that she was not paid for seven years while and other said she was not paid for three and half years, he said.

"The Indonesian Embassy has been working with the International Organization for Migration to help the workers get their salaries paid," Abdullah said.

In another development, a number of Indonesian migrant workers came to the embassy because they thought that all Indonesian citizens should temporarily be evacuated, he said.

"We have asked them whether they were interested in working in Egypt. They said they still wanted to work there because their employers were kind and they were safe," he said.

Abdullah said the embassy was merely worried if their employers would ask them to leave. In fact, they were still there with their employers and safe.

There are about 5,000 Indonesians currently working in Egypt. They generally work as domestic helpers at middle class families, such as business people, artists, and government officials.

Egyptian President Hosni Muharak stepped down on Friday a announced by his deputy Omar Sulaeman in a televised address.

For security considerations and protection of Indonesian citizens in Egypt, the Indonesian government conducts a "temporary evacuation".

Egypt has been rocked by a deadly political instability over the past 18 days in which tens of thousands of Egyptians demanded Mubarak`s resignation.

Editor: Ruslan

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