As the embassy's labour attache Teguh Hendro Cahyono pointed out, "They have been abused, physically and mentally, put to the grind like slaves, denied their rightful pay and some were raped."But for the 100 or so Indonesian migrants sheltering at the embassy grounds in Kuala Lumpur, their real ordeal may have just begun.
For many, all they can look forward to are months of being cooped up in the crowded shelter, as Teguh explained, "We have to keep them inside the shelter, or else they will be arrested by Rela because many have no documentation."
This is while they wait for their cases to be processed and heard by the severely overloaded Malaysian judicial system.
Teguh added, "For the minor cases like those being overworked or not paid their salary, it can take several months, but the more serious cases of abuse may go on for years. The longest so far has been two years."
Homesick and without means of employment, the residents will have to suffer for months and depend upon the embassy for sustenance.
"We spend about RM5 a day on food alone. With 100 residents in the shelter on average, it amounts up to RM500 a day, RM15,000 a month and RM180,000 a year. But there are other expenses incurred as well," added the labour attache.
Lives put on hold
According to him, the embassy is currently funding the shelter and others like it, which is stretching their budget thin.
But more than the embassy's coffers, Teguh is worried that the long wait is causing untold opportunity costs to residents whose life will have to be put on hold.
"In the months and years that they have to wait here, their lives are on hold. Outside, they would be working to earn money and even getting married," he added.
Rumilawati, 22 arrived in Malaysia from Medan in February 2008, after being promised a job as a store assistant.
However, she told Malaysiakini that she was fraudulently brought into Malaysia with a domestic helper's permit. Worse still she never even set foot in her employer's shop.
Instead she was forced to handle the dual job of domestic maid and assistant mechanic at her employer's workshop.
"In the morning I would do household chores. Later in the afternoon I have to work in my employer's workshop, repairing motorcycles and cars. I was never paid salary, not even one cent."
Rumilawati (left) escaped from her employer's clutches in September last year after eight months of torture.
Explaining her escape, she said: "I couldn't take it anymore, my employer beat me until my head was bleeding. So, I ran to the police station."
"My employer often hit me with metal tools. I was beaten every time I made a mistake or didn't know how to do something in the workshop.
"I would be beaten until my body is black and blue. My employer never once allowed me any medical attention," she added.
Homesick, Rumilawati expressed her wish to return home but the gutsy maid remains resolute to fight for her denied rights.
"I want to go home. But I must stay until my cases are tried. I must stay to fight for my rights, for my pay and compensation."
'They poured Clorox on me'
Meanwhile, for 19-year-old Silustari, the coming new year will mark her fourth year in the country, having entered Malaysia from Jawa Timur when she was just 16 as a domestic helper.
"I arrived just over three years ago, I worked as a maid ever since. My employer never paid my salary.
"My body was also burned by my employer. They even poured Clorox on me," she said displaying the injuries still painfully visible on her hands and body.
Her waking nightmare finally ended when a concerned neighbour tipped off the police, after a particularly savage episode which saw her knocked out cold.
After which, the police delivered her to the care of the Indonesian Embassy where she remains to this day, while awaiting the resolution of her case.
"I hope that Malaysia can help us with our cases, so that we can go home sooner. It has been a long while. I miss my family."
Malaysiakini was invited to accompany a delegation from the Bar Council last Thursday, during a visit to the shelter in conjunction with International Migrants Day.
Led by the Bar Council human rights committee chairperson Andrew Khoo, the delegation spent some time with the residents of the shelter interacting with them and distributing goodies contributed by corporate sponsors.
During the visit, the Bar Council promised to make available the services of its legal aide bureau to those embroiled in legal proceedings as well as expressed its wishes to become an official observer in the joint committee on migrant affairs.
The joint committee is a cooperative effort by Indonesian Embassy officials and representatives from the Malaysian police, immigration, AG's chambers, Home Ministry and the Ministry of Human Resources to solve the issue of backlogged cases facing those awaiting deportation.
Originally designed for 70, the shelter typically holds 100 or more residents at a time. According to Indonesia's Minister Counselor for Information, Social and Cultural Affairs Widyarka Rynanta, more than 1,000 individuals are admitted and processed through the shelters annually.
And this is just in Kuala Lumpur alone, he said, adding that there are also similar shelters set up in Indonesian consulates in Johor, Penang and elsewhere.
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