KUALA LUMPUR, April 8 — Indonesian missions in Malaysia and Singapore have urged workers not to go back to their hometowns during the annual Idul Fitri mudik (exodus), amid the Covid-19 outbreak.
Jakarta Post reported the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur as saying that it would issue a letter to recommend that the over 90,600 Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia postpone “mudik” this year.
Foreign Ministry director for citizen protection Judha Nugraha was quoted as saying that Indonesian missions in Malaysia have been sending logistical aid to vulnerable Indonesians in the country.
“We urge our migrant workers to stay indoors when they get a weekly day off to minimise the risk of contagion. We also urge them to not take their Idul Fitri leaves just yet,” Indonesian Ambassador to Singapore I Gede Ngurah Swajaya was quoted saying yesterday.
According to the Indonesia Migrant Worker Protection Agency, over 18,300 Indonesians were working in Singapore as of last year.
Singapore’s Indonesian embassy has so far reported no Indonesians among quarantined workers amid the coronavirus outbreak.
Indonesia has reported over 2,700 confirmed coronavirus cases to date, as well as 221 deaths.
