MoU on maids to be signed this month, says Indonesian envoy

 

Hermono says under the MoU, all licensed Indonesian agents will be allowed to bring in domestic workers through one government-linked company or agency at both ends.

PETALING JAYA: The memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia on the recruitment of domestic workers is expected to be signed by the end of this month after “a few” pending issues are resolved, says Indonesian ambassador Hermono.

He said the most contentious issue, the Sistem Maid Online (SMO) which allows agents and individuals to bring in domestic workers using tourist visas and then apply for the work permits electronically, will be scrapped.

Hermono said the MoU, which is in its final stages, will also see recruitment through the One Channel System (OCS) which essentially means all licensed Indonesian agents will be allowed to bring in maids through one government-linked company or agency at both ends.

“We don’t know the platform that Malaysia will be linked to but ours will be managed by our embassy and consulate-generals here.

“Our position is that once the OCS is in place, no other channels will be used to recruit Indonesian domestic workers,” he told FMT.

Also agreed upon, he said, was the “one maid per household with six members” clause to avoid the domestic workers from being abused by working for large families or being shuttled to work for relatives and friends.

“Also, if among the six there is an infant or elderly who needs special care, employers must hire an additional domestic helper for this purpose.

“There is no date fixed yet for the signing as we need to clear some pending issues. We expect it to be inked by the end of this month if all goes well,” he told FMT.

The MoU was initially supposed to be signed last month but it was postponed after certain issues were raised. This included the SMO recruitment system which was opposed to by the Indonesian government. Malaysia has been wanting to start recruitment as soon as possible as the current demand is very high.

He said the MoU, now known as the “Employment and Protection of Domestic Workers” will also see the Malaysian recruitment agencies, employers, and the domestic workers signing an “Aku Janji” or letter of undertaking with pledges of looking after each other’s interest.

“The pledge by the Malaysian recruitment agencies will focus on monitoring the welfare of domestic workers from time to time to ensure all parties stick to their end of the bargain,” he said, adding that they could call or visit the homes of those who have hired these domestic workers. - FMT