Uncovering the Mastermind Behind Capsized Boat in Johor
While the mastermind behind the boat sinking incident has not been identified, other issues have emerged in relation related to the incident that has claimed the lives of dozens of migrant workers.
By
PANDU WIYOGA
·4 minutes read
AFP PHOTO/MALAYSIAN ARMED FORCES
This handout photo taken and released on December 15, 2021 by the Malaysian Armed Forces shows a vessel being brought onto shore after capsizing near Tanjung Balau off the coast of Johor, in an accident that authorities said killed 11 Indonesian migrants and left 27 more missing.
Bad luck cannot be prevented. It happens, like in the incident of the 800-horsepower fiberglass boat that capsized in strong waves in the waters off Tanjung Balau Beach in Johor, Malaysia, early in the morning on Wednesday (15/12/2021). The victims included as many as 50 undocumented Indonesian migrant workers who aimed to try their luck in the neighboring country.
The migrant workers were smuggled from an illegal port in Tanjung Uban on Bintan Island, Riau Islands province. As of this publication, the Malaysian coast guard had rescued 14 survivors and recovered 19 bodies, while 17 people remain missing.
Benny Rhamdani, the head of the Agency for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BP2MI), said on Thursday (16/12) that the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru had been unable to confirm the point of origin of the Indonesian migrant workers. However, from a number of items that washed ashore on Tanjung Balau Beach, nine victims had been identified as hailing from Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), while the others came from Cilacap, Central Java, and Jember, East Java.
The government plans to set up an investigation team to uncover the perpetrators of the human trafficking network behind the boat accident. Those involved will be punished.
Towards this end, Benny continued, the government would soon issue a decree to form the special team tasked with investigating the boat sinking incident.
“This is a human tragedy, a crime against humanity. The state has never tolerated crimes against humanity committed by anyone, in any name or with the anyone’s backing," he told a virtual press conference.
Contacted separately, the head of the Lombok Migrant Workers Advocacy Institute, Roma Hidayat, said he was in the field to verify the information from BP2MI. He acknowledged that Lombok was indeed one of the sources of migrant workers.
BASARNAS
Search for victims of the sinking of a ship carrying migrant workers in Nongsa Waters, Batam, Riau Islands, Tuesday (7/5/2019).
Repeat incidents
Boat sinking incidents that led to the deaths of migrant workers, like the one that occurred on Wednesday, has happened many times, especially in the waters between Indonesia’s Riau Islands province and Malaysia.
"I think this is due to the lack of strict supervision in the border area," Roma said when contacted from Batam.
According to Kompas data, Batam and Bintan in the Riau Islands are often used as departure points for undocumented migrant workers to cross into Malaysia. On 20 Sept. 2020, six people who attempted a sea crossing from Bintan were killed when their boat, carrying a total of 15 people. sank in the waters of Bandar Penawar, Malaysia.
The most tragic incident occurred on 2 Nov. 2016, when a vessel carrying 93 undocumented Indonesian migrant workers and five children below 5 years from Johor Bahru sank in the waters of Batam, killing 54. Six people remain missing.
In response, Benny emphasized that the BP2MI would do its best to bring legal proceedings against all parties involved in the illegal transportation of migrant workers. He expressed the hope that Wednesday’s tragic boat sinking incident in Johor would generate momentum in uncovering the mastermind behind the trafficking network that had long been operating in the Riau Islands.
It is not new that Batam and other areas in Riau Islands province have become a transit hub for undocumented Indonesian migrant workers. Law enforcement agencies have made several arrests, but the practice has not been eliminated.
"If I may be bold, it is impossible that human trafficking is committed by only the owners of capital. They will not be able to transport people from Indonesia to Malaysia smoothly without the support of those with power,” said Benny.
It is not easy to cut the chain of human trafficking from Indonesia to Malaysia, as it involves a number of issues.
To date, Malaysia had not resumed the recruitment of Indonesian migrant workers because the country was still struggling to control the Covid-19 pandemic. Benny acknowledged, however, that many human trafficking groups were still attempting to transport migrant workers to Malaysia through unofficial channels.
It is not easy to cut the chain of human trafficking from Indonesia to Malaysia, as it involves a number of issues.
According to Roma, many prospective migrant workers from NTB preferred the informal route because it was faster. In addition, many prospective migrant workers also preferred informal channels because they had more flexibility in negotiating their wages.
While the mastermind behind the boat sinking incident in the waters off Tanjung Balau Beach has not been identified, other issues have emerged in relation related to the incident that has claimed the lives of dozens of migrant workers.
