Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Indonesian Government announced on Wednesday that it will provide aid to Indonesian migrant workers, including undocumented workers, who have been severely affected by the impact of Malaysia's movement control order (MCO).
The government is obliged to assist all Indonesians severely affected by the neighboring country's MCO policy irrespective of their status, the Indonesian Foreign Ministry's director for the Protection of Citizens and Legal Entities Overseas, Judha Nugraha, said.
"We have identified that undocumented Indonesian migrant workers and casual workers are most vulnerable (and would) get affected by the (further) enforcement of the MCO. Therefore, they will be the prioritized targets of our relief aid program," he declared here on Wednesday.
The Malaysian Government is planning to extend the enforcement of its movement order control until June 9, 2020, to slow the spread of the deadly coronavirus disease. The MCO was first imposed on March 18 this year.
Regarding the relief aid program for Indonesian workers in Malaysia, Nugraha said the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur has prepared an online registration platform to enable all Indonesians there to get registered for the program.
Since the enforcement of the MCO in March, the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur and its consulate general and consulate offices in Penang, Johor Bahru, Kota Kinabalu, Kuching, and Tawau have distributed food packages to severely-affected Indonesians.
Since the month of April, 348,843 recipients have been provided relief under the aid program in Malaysia, he added.
Coronavirus infections initially emerged in the Chinese city of Wuhan at the end of 2019. Since then, COVID-19 has spread to at least 202 countries and territories, including Malaysia and Indonesia, with a massive spurt in death toll.
The Indonesian Government officially confirmed the country's first cases on March 2 this year. To contain the spread of the coronavirus disease, it has enforced large-scale social restrictions and distancing measures in many cities, including Jakarta, Bogor, Bekasi, Surabaya, and Makassar.
As of May 13, 2020, 108 Indonesians residing in Malaysia have tested positive for the coronavirus disease. While 27 of the total patients have made a full recovery, 79 others remain hospitalized, and two have died. (INE)
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