Jokowi wants 18-year MoU with Malaysia on workers reviewed, says envoy

 

President Joko Widodo wants the MoU reviewed to make it relevant to the current situation and to provide better protection for workers. (AP pic)

PETALING JAYA: Following their recent signing of a tough memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the recruitment of maids, Indonesia and Malaysia have started renegotiating their 18-year-old pact to bring in workers for six other sectors.

Indonesian ambassador Hermono said President Joko Widodo had instructed the relevant authorities to review the 2004 MoU for other sectors after the signing of the pact on the recruitment and protection of domestic helpers from the country on April 1 in Jakarta.

“He wants the MoU reviewed to make it relevant to the current situation and provide better protection. The current MoU is obsolete,” Hermono told FMT.

The six formal sectors are construction, agriculture, plantation, manufacturing, services and mining.

Hermono.

However, Hermono said the MoU for these sectors might be different from that on the domestic sector as the nature of work and level of vulnerability were different.

“So I guess the business model will not be as rigid as the MoU on domestic workers as the formal sectors are less problematic compared to the domestic sector.

“The main problem is that most of the workers are undocumented, so they are a vulnerable group as they don’t have permanent employers and health protection schemes. This needs to be addressed,” he said.

Meanwhile, the labour attaché at the Indonesian embassy, Erga Grenaldi, said a new pact was in order as the Indonesian government had lifted its ban on its citizens going abroad to work on April 18.

He said the global migrant workers situation had changed tremendously with global labour organisations and NGOs emphasising their protection against forced labour and debt bondage.

“We have been having informal talks with the Malaysian human resources ministry officials on the review of the 2004 MoU which is obsolete.

“Both countries have agreed to proceed with formal meetings on the matter. The pact signed on domestic maids on April 1 will be a reference point in many ways,” he told FMT. He could not say how soon it will be completed.

Asked about the areas that were expected to be the focus of the discussions, Erga said the minimum wage, One Channel System (OCS), cap on recruitment costs, living conditions and forced labour would be among them.

“Like domestic helpers, we definitely want to do away with the practice of allowing Indonesians to come in on a tourist visa and apply for a work permit later. Otherwise, we will lose track of these workers,” he said.

Malaysia, which had stopped the intake of foreign workers in June 2020, lifted the ban at the end of last year. But Indonesian workers could not enter as that country had imposed a similar ban on its citizens, which was only lifted on Monday.

Erga said as for now, Malaysian firms that required workers would need to register online with the Indonesian embassy with all the necessary documents attached, including the approved quota letter from the home ministry.

“I expect the first batch of workers to arrive next month if all goes well.”

A check with the online registration platform showed that there are nearly 300 firms registered as recruitment agencies. - FMT