Taipei, June 25 (CNA) At least 20,000 migrant workers gathered at Taipei Main Station on Sunday to celebrate Eid al-Fitr, which is major holiday for Muslims around the world to mark the end of the Islamic holy month of Ramadan.
Station master Ku Shih-yen said he had assigned 60 staff members to maintain order and clean up the site, which is a popular gathering place for migrant workers in Taiwan.
President Tsai Ing-wen posted a message on her Facebook page, sending greetings to the Muslim community on Eid al-Fitr and thanking Muslim migrant workers for their contribution to Taiwan's economy.
In a video message on her page, Tsai wished the Indonesians Selamat Idul Fitri -- Happy Eid al-Fitr -- and thanked Taiwan's 252,000 migrant workers for contributing to its economic development and cultural diversity.
"Taiwan is a hospitable country," the president said in the video. "Taiwanese believe in a diverse culture and equality for all ethnic groups."
Taiwan has also been working to create a more Muslim-friendly environment, for example by establishing a halal certification system, which identifies restaurants that serve food in compliance with Islamic dietary laws, Tsai said.
In addition, the government has been advocating the establishment of more Muslim prayer rooms in public places and the celebration of Muslim festivals, she said.
Taipei City Mayor Ko Wen-je presented the migrant workers in Taipei Main Station with a "green envelope" that contained 10,000 Indonesian rupiahs (US$0.75), in keeping with an Indonesian tradition during Eid al-Fitr.
Ko also thanked the migrant workers for their hard work in what he said was a foreign but friendly country and for their contribution to the local economy.
One way to help improve the celebrations would be to have a traditional meal but there are only 45 halal restaurants in Taipei, the mayor said, promising to encourage the establishment of more halal restaurants in the capital city.
Taiwan Halal Center, which was launched by the Taiwan External Trade Development Council (TATRA) in April, also joined the celebration, distributing Indonesian-language brochures about prayer rooms, halal restaurants and mosques in Taiwan.
In Jakarta, a senior Indonesian official in charge of overseas worker affairs told CNA that his government was grateful to Taiwan for providing employment opportunities for Indonesian workers, which he described as a "mutually beneficial" arrangement.
Agusdin Subiantoro, deputy director of the Economic Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, said the 250,000-plus Indonesians employed in various sectors of Taiwan society have helped improve the financial situation of their families and contributed to Taiwan's economy.
He also said his government plans to reduce broker fees for Indonesian migrant workers to Taiwan.
If employers can directly hire Indonesian workers without going through brokers, it would leave more money in the workers' pockets, he said.
