Four more workers on death row - in Malaysia

Four more workers on death row

National News - Saturday, February 10, 2007

JAKARTA: Four Indonesian migrant workers are on death row for two separate murders in Malaysia. Migrant Care says the four were identified as Aida bin Sukardi, Erik bin Kartim, Wahyudi bin Boinen and Haliman bin Sihombing.

Aida, 23, of Bawean, East Java, is appealing to the Higher Court in Bayan Lepas against the death sentence he received on Jan. 4 for the murder of his boss in Kampung Jawa on Dec. 30, 2002. The Higher Court is scheduled to try the appeal in August 2007.

Erik, Wahyudi and Haliman are appealing to the Supreme Court in Shah Alam against a district court verdict sentencing them to death for killing their fellow worker, Irwan, on June 5, 2006. Their case is scheduled to be tried in March.

Migrant Care executive director Anis Hidayah called on the Indonesian government to lobby the Malaysian government to end capital punishment, saying it goes against universal principles of human rights.

A spokesman for the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry, Irianto Rusli Simbolon, said he had no knowledge of the cases, but pledged to look into them immediately. -- JP