Thousands of Indonesians — mostly migrant workers — crowded the Da-an Forest Park in Taipei yesterday to join celebrations for Id-al-Fitr, an important Muslim holiday that marks the end of Ramadan.
Although Id-al-Fitr fell last Tuesday, celebrations organized by Taipei City’s Department of Labor along with the Indonesian representative office in Taiwan were postponed until yesterday since most Indonesian migrants have to work on Tuesdays.
Indonesians living in Taipei as well as other cities in Taiwan dressed in traditional outfits and arrived before breakfast prayers at about 9am.
It is a tradition for Muslims to get up early on the day of Id-al-Fitr to have breakfast — symbolizing the official end of the one month of fasting for Ramadan — before attending a special prayer in congregation.
A long line of people waited at a food stall selling traditional Indonesian delicacies next to the Taipei Grand Mosque across the street from Da-an Park.
Inside the park, dozens of other stands sold food, books, clothes and telephone cards.
“During Ramadan, we cannot eat during the day and cannot have sex. This is to remind us that there are still many people out there living in poor conditions, and it’s also a test of patience,” Indonesian Representative to Taiwan Suhartono said. “And we believe that our minds become pure after Ramadan, and that’s why we celebrate the end of it.”
During a brief remark, Suhartono told his countrymen to cherish the opportunity to stay in Taiwan.
“Please be reminded why you have come all the way to Taiwan,” he told the crowd. “You are here to work for the prosperity of your families and for your communities back home.”
He also asked Indonesians in Taiwan to “bring home the knowledge you have acquired and all the good things you’ve learned in Taiwan.”
After the religious rituals in the morning, participants enjoyed dances, music and performances by Indonesians from different parts of Taiwan.
Not all of the 115,000 Indonesians in Taiwan were able to enjoy the celebration, however.
Maryati, an Indonesian caregiver working in Ilan who took the day off to attend the event in Taipei, said she felt bad for the many Indonesian migrant workers who could not take the day off.
“I have some [Indonesian] friends who wanted to come, but their bosses wouldn’t allow [it],” she said. “Actually, it’s not uncommon for migrant workers to work long hours and without days off.”
Maryati said that many manpower agencies tell Taiwanese employers to prevent migrant workers from running away, “but they haven’t told them what we need.”
Having lived in Taiwan for a little over five years, Maryati speaks fluent Mandarin and thinks that better communication would improve the working conditions of migrants.
“At first, my boss didn’t trust me either, but after working for him for a while, he now trusts me and understands when I tell him that I need breaks. That’s why he allowed me to take the day off to come here,” she said.
Not everyone can communicate as well with their employers, however.
“I hope agencies play a better role in facilitating communication,” she said.
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