Thousands of Muslims, many of whom are workers from Indonesia, yesterday gathered in Taipei for Eid al-Fitr.
The Taipei event, jointly held by the Indonesian Economic and Trade Office (IETO) to Taipei and Nahdlatul Ulama Taiwan, celebrated a “day of victory” for Muslims who completed a full month of fasting during Ramadan from Feb. 28 to March 29.
Minister of Labor Hung Sun-han (洪申翰) attended the event held at the Sun Yat-sen Memorial Hall and thanked Indonesian workers for contributing to Taiwan’s economy and society.
Photo: Lo Kuo-chia, Taipei Times
Taiwan owes much of its economic growth to migrant workers, a large proportion of whom are from Indonesia, he said.
Of the more than 800,000 migrant workers in the country, over 300,000 are Indonesians, he said.
Of that number, more than 190,000 are domestic caregivers, who make up about 80 percent of all migrant caregivers in Taiwan, he added, thanking Indonesians for taking care of Taiwanese families.
Referencing the occasion, Hung said: “Beyond labor policies, religion and culture are also crucial to improving relations between two countries and between employers and employees.”
“The ministry will continue working to ensure employers in Taiwan understand this, so that employer-employee relationships between Taiwanese and Indonesians are even more harmonious,” Hung said.
The event drew more than 20,000 participants, according to an IETO estimate.
Indonesia’s Representative to Taiwan Arif Sulistiyo said IETO held 30 Eid prayers across Taiwan yesterday.
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