It started from Muhammad Iqbal’s writing titled “Independent Contract Forbidden! What’s wrong with KJRI in Hong Kong?” which I read in Kompasiana blog (20/03/2012). I spread it in social network Facebook, including the Facebook account belonging to Teguh Wardoyo, General Consulate (Konjen) of KJRI Hong Kong. I didn’t expect the information I shared of the Facebook wall belonging to General Consulate official would make me be banned from virtual friendship on facebook.

At first, I didn’t know that my Facebook account was erased from Teguh Wardoyo’s friends list. I found out about it after I tried to reply a comment, but Teguh Wardoyo’s name which I mentioned as a link along with a few other friends couldn’t be clicked anymore. Then I realized I was blocked from the friends list of the Konjen official.

My purpose for spreading the article was for Teguh Warodoyo as the Consulate General of Indonesia in Hong Kong to know and hopefully understand that Indonesian Migrant Workers in Hong Kong really want application of independent contract. As we all know, BMI who wants to extend their contract has to go to the agent again and is charged with high cost for placement. Unfortunately, as an official, Teguh Wardoyo doesn’t seem to like my method. Maybe he doesn’t want to be criticized, doesn’t want to accept input, feels uncomfortable, or really doesn’t care with BMI’s issues.

Hoepfully, other officials in our country are still willing to listen to demands, complaints, and problems faced by the workers. Social media such as Facebook and Twitter enable an official to get direct aspiration from the community. Unfortunately, the technology seems to be useless in abridging the communication between people and officials, because some individuals are still “allergic” to criticism.

If we can’t complain to government officials, then whom should we complain about the problems we face as BMI to?