Indonesia and Malaysia finalize MoU on IMW for domestic sector

Jakarta, NU Online

The Governments of Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to finalize the completion of a memorandum of understanding for the recruitment of Indonesian Migrant Workers (IMW) in the domestic sector from Indonesia.

The agreement between the two countries was raised during a meeting between two officials from the neighboring countries, the Indonesian Minister of Manpower, Ida Fauziyah, and the Malaysian Minister of Human Resources, Datuk Seri M Saravanan, at the Ministry of Manpower office, Jakarta, Monday (24/1/2022).

"The Malaysian government has approved the entire draft of MoU for the placement of domestic workers from Indonesia and in the near future, a memorandum of understanding will be signed between the two countries," said the Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah.

Present at the meeting were the Secretary General of the Ministry of Manpower, Anwar Sanusi; Director General of Binapenta and PKK, Suhartono; Head of Cooperation Bureau, Muhammad Arif Hidayat; and Director of the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers, Rendra Setiawan.

Minister Ida Fauziyah explained that the MoU would provide an adequate protection scheme and reduce IMW problems in Malaysia. This includes carrying out law enforcement against employers/agents who violate employment agreements, related regulations in Malaysia, and the termination of the online maid system practice and the conversion of My Travel Pass into a work visa.

"The two countries have agreed that the One Channel System scheme is the only channel to recruit and employ IMWs as domestic workers," said Minister Ida Fauziyah.

According to Minister Ida Fauziyah, the placement of this One Channel System will make it easier for two countries to carry out surveillance and could reduce the cost of recruiting and placing IMWs to Malaysia.

The One Channel System is an integration of the Indonesian SIAPkerja online application (including the SISKOPMI application) and the Malaysian Foreign Workers Centralized Management System (FWCMS) online application.

"This One Channel System is also expected to significantly reduce the number of IMWs entering Malaysia that are not in accordance with applicable procedures," she said.

In the 30-minute meeting, Datuk Seri M Saravanan said that he agreed to all drafts in the MoU for the placement of IMW in the domestic sector from Indonesia and hoped that it would be signed soon. He believed that the acceleration of the completion of the MoU would be able to support Malaysia's national economic recovery.

"The Malaysian government hopes to accelerate the completion of the MoU to support Malaysia's national economic recovery," said Datuk Seri Saravanan while asking Ida Fauziyah to meet with the Malaysian Home Affairs Minister.

Editor: Sudarto Murtaufiq