Indonesian envoy fears maids will not get RM1,500 salary

 

Indonesian ambassador Hermono says the MoU clearly states that employers have to pay the domestic workers ‘not less than RM1,500’.

PETALING JAYA: Indonesian ambassador Hermono has voiced concern that maids from his country may not receive the RM1,500 salary promised to them in a memorandum of understanding that Malaysia and Indonesia signed early this month.

Hermono.

He said the MoU clearly stated that employers had to pay the domestic workers “not less than RM1,500” directly into their bank accounts and that its signing by human resources minister M Saravanan and Indonesian manpower minister Ida Fauziyah meant that they had an agreement.

“Maybe now people will say, ‘My government disagreed to pay. So I’m following my government. I will not pay RM1,500.’

“This will become a problem for us,” he told FMT.

He was commenting on a statement by Saravanan yesterday that the Malaysian government had not agreed to the RM1,500 salary and that it was up to employers to choose to pay the amount. He also said the salary in the MoU “starts with RM1,200”.

Hermono said he did not want to comment further as he had not yet spoken to Saravanan since he issued the statement.

FMT has contacted Saravanan’s office and is waiting for his comment.

Last week, Hermono said the MoU was “morally and legally” binding, adding that it was within the jurisdiction of law enforcers in both countries to act on any breach. - FMT