Govt should be transparent on MoU with Indonesia

 

From Callistus Antony d Angelus

The statement by the Indonesian ambassador, Hermono, where he alleged that Malaysia had failed to adhere to the memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Indonesia on the recruitment of domestic workers should be dealt with transparently by the government.

Indonesia has since issued a temporary freeze order on all its workers entering Malaysia, which has caused consternation among employers.

The government should declare to the public as to what are the terms of the MoU, because this is a matter of public interest and impacts Malaysians in many ways. There should be nothing to hide or be secretive about the MOU, and the public deserves to know.

Such a statement by a public official of a neighbouring country, if not rebutted or explained, is an embarrassment to the country.

Employers are necessarily concerned, as they have been exploiting cheap labour and depressing wage levels for decades, through their exploitation of foreign labour.

Also, there is a need to assess the foreign labour situation holistically.

What needs to be ascertained is whether there really is a shortage of workers or if employers are just not willing to pay market-level wages to attract Malaysians to do the work.

Successive governments have for too long allowed employers to distort market wage positions through the use and abuse of foreign labour. This has impacted Malaysian workers and in particular the B40 and M40 population.

Not to be lost in all of this is the impact on Indonesian workers as well. They seem to bear the brunt of a diplomatic row between the two countries. The standards set by the International Labour Organization (ILO) must be complied with when it comes to migrant workers.

It is high time that the Malaysian government look at issues afflicting workers, whether local or foreign, in a humane manner and not pander to employers who are only trying to maximise their profits. - FMT

Callistus Antony d Angelus is the international labour adviser to the Social Protection Contributors’ Advisory Association Malaysia (SPCAAM).

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.