JAKARTA has agreed to lift its temporary ban on Indonesian domestic workers seeking employment in Malaysia, effective next Monday (Aug 1), both countries said today.
The ban was imposed earlier this month following a dispute over the system used for the recruitment of Indonesian maids to Malaysia, and claims from Jakarta that Putrajaya breached the terms of a related agreement.
In a joint statement, Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan and Indonesian Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah said both sides agreed to create an “integrated recruitment system” for Indonesian workers coming to Malaysia.
It will be the sole channel for recruitment and admission of Indonesian domestic workers to Malaysia, involving existing systems used by the Immigration Department and the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
“This system will be operational in three weeks, and regulated by the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Working Group,” Saravanan and Ida said, adding that a three-month pilot project will be underway before the system goes full swing.
Saravanan believes the resolution of issues in the Memorandum of Understanding (MOU) on the Recruitment and Protection of Domestic Workers will encourage the smooth entry of Indonesian workers into Malaysia’s domestic service sector, as well as other sectors foreign workers can be employed in.
“Employers whose quota of foreign workers has been approved by the Human Resources Ministry are reminded and urged to immediately make a levy payment to the Immigration Department,” he said.
For employers who want to employ Indonesian workers, on the other hand, Saravanan said they can sort out recruitment matters next Monday onwards.
He added that he and his Indonesian counterpart are committed to tackling human trafficking, including forced labour, and will engage relevant stakeholders to nip the issue in the bud.
Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, had recently cried foul over the Immigration Department’s continued use of the Maid Online System (MOS) for the recruitment of maids from Indonesia.
As per the MoU with Jakarta, signed in April, only the One Channel System (OCS) was supposed to be used.
However, Saravanan had reportedly said there was no such thing. – July 28, 2022
Main photo credit: Today Online
