Indonesian agents: Focus on worker welfare, not fees

 

An Indonesian migrant worker agent association has told the Malaysian and Indonesian governments to let businesses decide on worker recruitment and placement fees.

Association of Indonesian Migrant Worker Placement Companies (Aspataki) general chairperson Saiful Mashud said the governments should instead focus on making sure employers take care of their workers’ welfare.

“Domestic workers are not a trading commodity, and the pricing is a secondary matter.

“What’s important is for workers to be protected by their employers and the agents responsible for them,” said Saiful (above), whose association represents at least 120 recruitment agencies from all over Indonesia.

He spoke to Malaysiakini after a gaffe in the Malaysian Parliament yesterday regarding the recruitment fees for Indonesian domestic workers.

Yesterday, Human Resources Deputy Minister Awang Hashim announced in Parliament the government capped the cost to bring in domestic helpers from Indonesia at a maximum amount of RM7,800.

He later held a press conference to clarify the amount was set in the 2006 MOU between the countries and a new fee will be announced once the MOU on the “Employment and Protection of Domestic Workers” is signed next month.

The press conference was broadcast live on the Parliament’s YouTube channel.

Malaysiakini previously reported that Indonesian ambassador Hermono said the recruitment fee in the new MOU would be capped at a maximum of RM15,000 per worker.

MOU signing delays

Meanwhile, Saiful said it is important for both governments to sign the new memorandum of understanding (MOU) on domestic worker recruitment without any further delay.

He revealed the new dates for the much-anticipated signing event could fall on April 5 or 6.

On Jan 24, Human Resources Minister M Saravanan announced after meeting his counterpart from Indonesia, Ida Fauziyah, that the MOU would be signed in Bali on Feb 7 and 8.

However, this did not take place as negotiations had not concluded.

Last week, Hermono said the signing that was expected to take place on March 18 and witnessed by both countries’ top leaders was postponed due to their respective unavailability.

Cost structure

Saiful said all Indonesian agents intending to send domestic workers to Malaysia would be doing so through the One Channel System (OCS) that will also be introduced in the MOU.

“If we don’t operate through the OCS, we will not be able to send domestic workers to Malaysia, and we understand that the system was put in place to safeguard domestic workers,” he said.

He explained that the cost structure would vary depending on how far workers will be travelling, taking into account travel expenses and other expenses incurred by recruiters.

For example, if a domestic worker travels from an island in the East Nusa Tenggara region, Saiful gave the following:

He explained medical tests are done twice because domestic workers are recruited months earlier and by the time they complete their training, the earlier medical tests would have expired.

“Add to this the travel expenses to Malaysia and Covid-19 tests and quarantine fee.

“Agents from both sides have an understanding and usually, Malaysian agents pay 50 percent of the fee upon confirmation of a candidate after viewing their biodata and interviewing her.

“They would pay the balance once the worker reaches the employer,” he explained.

Malaysia not a preferred destination

Saiful said a large body of the Indonesian labour force would be travelling to Saudi Arabia and the United Arab Emirates soon. This is as the countries recently signed MOUs with Indonesia.

He cautioned that if there are more delays, there will not be many wanting to work in Malaysia.

Saiful revealed he too will be travelling to Saudi Arabia and Dubai next week as he has 2,000 workers about to be dispatched to the construction industry there.

“Nowadays, domestic workers are preferring to work in Taiwan, Hong Kong, and Singapore as their salaries are as high as RM2,800.

“They are not interested in coming to Malaysia anymore,” he said.

However, Saiful added there were still workers from certain places like Lombok and East Nusa Tenggara who wanted to work closer to home. - Mkini