Adianto P. Simamora, Jakarta – President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has appointed several noted figures to sit on a special taskforce on migrant workers in a bid to heighten protection as well as improve advocacy for those with legal issues.

Yudhoyono, slated to issue a decree on the taskforce next week, said there were complex problems involved in freeing migrant workers from the death penalty because of fears of intervening in a country's laws, as many countries have laws that allow for execution.

"It is not an easy job. Many say it is an impossible mission but [for me] with hard work, God has a way for [something] impossible to become possible," Yudhoyono said Friday.

There are 21 people, from retired ministers, senior officials and activists, listed as on the presidential taskforce on migrant workers.

Among the figures are former religious affairs minister Maftuh Basyuni, former National Police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri, former foreign minister Alwi Shihab, former attorney general Hendarman Supandji and former Indonesian ambassador to Qatar Abdul Latief.

President Yudhoyono said he would summon Indonesian ambassadors in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, China and Singapore to get accurate data on the total number of Indonesian workers facing execution in the four countries.

The latest data showed that about 200 Indonesians are facing the death penalty in four countries, of which 70 percent of them were related to drug cases and 20 percent murder, Yu-dhoyono said. The remaining cases had to do with other issues.

There are about 5 million Indonesians staying or working abroad, of which 1.5 million work as migrant workers in Saudi Arabia.

It is not clear how many migrant workers are currently facing the death penalty there.

President Yudhoyono created the taskforce on migrant workers after the beheading of Indonesian maid Ruyati binti Satubi by the Saudi Arabian government last month.

Many then criticized Yudhoyono for failing to protect Ruyati from death.

Following her beheading, the Indonesian government is now making efforts to free another worker, Sumartini binti Manaungi Gaisung, from a similar fate.

The 33-year-old migrant worker from Moyo Utara in Sumbawa, West Nusa Tenggara, was scheduled for execution on July 3.

She was accused of using black magic to murder her employer's 17-year-old son, Tisam, and was imprisoned at the Maalaz Penitentiary.

"Until now there is no verdict of capital punishment for Sumartini," Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said.

He said the ministry is planning to dispatch a team to seek forgiveness from families of the victims killed by Indonesian convicts in Saudi Arabia as it is the only way to cancel out a capital punishment ruling in qishash, a strict Islamic law that says a soul must be paid with a soul.

"We coordinated with Saudi Arabian apology institutions in the provinces to facilitate our aim to accept forgiveness from the victims' families," Patrialis said.

He said if a family offered forgiveness, the Saudi government would automatically release the migrant worker.

University of Indonesia international law expert Hikmahanto Juwana said all taskforce members should understand Saudi Arabia's legal system and they should find out if there were ways for migrant workers to accept forgiveness from victims' families.

"Afterward, they should report all results to the President or ministers so government officials can continue bilateral efforts," he said.

Migrant workers should also be trained before leaving the country. According to Hikmahanto, the training should provide knowledge about what migrant workers might face overseas.

"If they are angry about their employers' treatment, they should report it to Indonesian representatives and not commit murder," he said. (fem)