I will convey a greeting to the President from King Abdullah who has assigned us to pass on two messages - the first message is a written one, and the other is oral message,"
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono here on Tuesday received a special envoy of Saudi Arabian King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud.

The Saudi King`s special envoy was Manpower Minister Adel bin Muhammad Faqieh accompanied by the manpower ministry`s adviser, Waleed Hamad Alarinan, and Saudi Ambassador to Indonesia Abdulrahman Mohammed Amen Alkhayyat.

Adel bin Muhammad Faqieh said he had come to convey two messages from the Saudi Arabian King.

"I will convey a greeting to the President from King Abdullah who has assigned us to pass on two messages - the first message is a written one, and the other is oral message," he said.

The meeting with the Saudi guests was held behind closed doors, and President Yudhoyono was accompanied by Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar, Legal and Human Rights Minister Amir Syamsuddin, and the chairman of the Migrant Workers Task Force, Maftuh Basyuni.

Prior to receiving the Saudi minister, Yudhoyono was briefed by Maftuh Basyuni and Muhaimin Iskandar on latest developments in Indonesian migrant workers condiitions in Saudi Arabia.

The head of state asked Muhaimin to report the results of evaluations on migrant workers handling to the next cabinet meeting.

A team led by Muhammad Maftuh Basyuni visited Saudi Arabia on October 16, 2011, to lobby certain parties in the Middle Eastern country to obtain legal relief for the seven workers.

The seven people are currently facing execution after being sentenced to death for murder.

Some 43 Indonesians have been implicated in crimes punishable by death in Saudi Arabia and 24 of them have already been sentenced to death while the cases of 19 others are still under investigation.

Of the 24 who have been sentenced to death, six have received a pardon while five others have their sentences reviewed, six others are awaiting a pardon from the king because their cases are related to hypnotism, and the remaining seven are awaiting the critical decision of whether they would get a pardon or not.(*)

Editor: Aditia Maruli Radja
Copyright © ANTARA 2011