Saravanan says Malaysia committed to protecting Indonesian workers

 

Issues regarding signing new terms for recruiting Indonesian domestic workers were discussed in a cabinet meeting on Feb 9, according to Human Resources Minister M Saravanan.

In a statement yesterday, he said he shared the same aim as Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin, which is to protect the welfare of Indonesian workers here.

"Following the (Feb 9) meeting, the cabinet has decided for the memorandum of understanding (with Indonesia) to be signed as soon as possible by me and my Indonesian counterpart Ida Fauziyah," said Saravanan.

“I would also like to advise foreign workers, including (domestic workers), on the importance of having valid travel documents and work permits so their rights as workers are guaranteed,” he added.

Indonesia has been pressing Malaysia to implement policies for better treatment of its workers before agreeing to send its citizens to work here.

Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono yesterday expressed concern on the matter, saying that Immigration Department's latest announcement for foreign entries using the MyTravelPass has justified concerns.

According to him, there is a lack of consistency in Malaysia’s policies to protect migrant workers.

Hermono said Malaysia’s Immigration Department, which is under the purview of the Home Ministry, continues to accept applications from new Indonesian domestic workers.

This is despite Human Resources Ministry's agreement through ongoing bilateral negotiations to enforce a One Channel System (OCS) of entry, said Hermono.

"We (Indonesia) have discussed a flow chart of the OCS with the Human Resources Ministry, although it is not finished yet, suddenly the Immigration Department issued this new policy for entries using MyTravelPass," the envoy had told Malaysiakini.

No MOU in sight

The apparent inconsistencies were among the unresolved issues in bilateral negotiations leading up to Saravanan and Hamzah's working visit to Jakarta on Jan 24.

Saravanan at the time announced the MOU with Indonesia would be signed in Bali on Feb 7 and 8, to be followed by the launch of a pilot project involving 10,000 domestic workers.

It was later revealed he made a unilateral announcement and no new signing date has so far been set, pending the conclusion of bilateral negotiations.

Prior to the ministers’ working visit, Malaysia and Indonesia have held a series of seven technical working group meetings between Oct 18 and Jan 19, to discuss new terms that would lift Indonesia's freeze on sending its workers here.

Malaysia is facing a shortage of domestic workers as the country emerges from the Covid-19 pandemic. - Mkini