Govt Wants Chinese Workers in Central Sulawesi to Learn Indonesian

Manpower Deputy Minister (Wamenaker) Afriansyah Noor said that foreign workers from China who worked at several nickel mining companies in Central Sulawesi could not understand Indonesian. He requested that foreign workers be able to speak the Indonesian language by taking courses.
"Before sending employees overseas, they must receive training to comprehend what is happening. This is for both self-protection and the efficient operation of a business. Thus, you cannot simply send them," Afriansyah said.
Afriansyah added that there were approximately 1,300 foreign employees from China employed by PT Gunbuster Nickel Industry (GNI) in North Morowali Regency, Central Sulawesi. The data indicates a difference of 534 individuals rather than the thousands as claimed.
He added, "That is also due to the fact that many foreign workers do not yet have the proper permits, which are required by relevant regulations." For foreign employees, the work permit is valid for five years. According to Afriansyah, Chinese immigrants are typically hard laborers. Unfortunately, they are unable to communicate in Indonesian.