Indonesia, Malaysia Discuss Protection of Migrant Workers

TheIndonesia.co - The Indonesian and Malaysian governments continued talks to discuss the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers, or PMI, in Malaysia.

Indonesian Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah met Malaysian Minister of Human Resources Saravanan Murugan in Jakarta on Tuesday, December 7, to discuss the critical issue between the two countries. Fauziyah said the discussion will continue next week in Jakarta.

“Negotiation process for memorandum of understanding on the employment and protection of Indonesian domestic worker is part of the two countries’ commitment on [protecting] the rights and welfare of PMI, especially in the domestic sector,” Fauziyah said after the discussion.

She further added that future PMI placement in Malaysia will only be done once the MOU discussion is completed.

“We also agree to first finish the MOU . . . before allowing PMI placement to Malaysia,” Fauziyah explained, adding that the policy is taken based on mandate from President Joko Widodo and PM Ismail Sabri Yaakob.

The two governments have also agreed on a one-door system for PMI placement to Malayasia, which seeks to integrate the entire placement process from recruitment, preparation, employment, to repatriation. Implementation of the scheme also aims to reduce migrant placement costs and simplify monitoring by Indonesia and Malaysia.

The governments hoped that the system would also lower the number of non-procedural PMI who leave for Malaysia, as it has been one long-standing and complicated issue that the Indonesia government has yet to resolve.

The two state representatives also agreed that Indonesian worker may only work for a family with a maximum of six members and that there will be specified regulation for the placement of babysitters and caregivers, including required competences and salary.