Malaysia and Indonesia to strengthen efforts for the protection of migrant workers

In a meeting with Minister of Human Resources V. Sivakumar (pictured above, left) , Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah (pictured above, right) especially called for the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia's domestic sector.

Indonesia's Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah received a working visit from Malaysia's Minister of Human Resources, V. Sivakumar at the Office of the Ministry of Manpower in Jakarta on 20 February 2023. This meeting saw a discussion on efforts to resolve various problems related to Indonesian migrant workers (pekerja migran, or PMI) working in Malaysia, as well as the need to review the Indonesian Labor Recruitment (TKI) process.

Minister Ida expressed hopes that the meeting can provide support for cooperation in the protection of Indonesian migrant workers in the domestic sector, particularly regarding the implementation of the bilateral agreement contained in the Memorandum of Understanding on the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers in the Domestic Sector in Malaysia.

She said: "I hope that with the leadership of the Honorable Mr. Sivakumar, various problems faced by migrant workers can be properly resolved according to the commitment made by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Anwar Ibrahim to President Joko Widodo and the Indonesian people, in a visit to Indonesia last January."

Minister Ida particularly urged for this topic to be addressed, considering that most migrant workers in Malaysia are in the domestic sector. She expressed hope that the Malaysian Government will fairly enforce the law against the practice of placing migrant workers non-procedurally. According to the minister, law enforcement in Malaysia should not only be given to those who work non-procedurally, but also to employers who have employed them non-procedurally.

"The Indonesian government hopes that the Malaysian government will apply fair treatment to migrant workers and employers who break the law, by imposing penalties in accordance with applicable law."

Apart from legal justice, the meeting also discussed the Malaysian Government's new policy, namely Labour Recalibration 2.0 (RTK 2.0). Minister Ida affirmed that in essence, the Government of Indonesia supports the RTK 2.0 programme as an effort to reduce non-procedural workers in Malaysia. However, RTK 2.0 can be a pull factor for the illegal entry of foreign workers, in cases of workers who enter Malaysia as travellers and enter illegally.

She also pointed out that RTK 2.0 "contradicts the MoU" on the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia's domestic sector, where migrant worker placement must be based on the One Channel System. 

"We really hope that these issues will come to the attention of the Government of Malaysia so that they can be resolved, as these are an integral part of the agreement between the two countries in implementing the MoU," she concluded.

Lead image / Kementerian Sumber Manusia Facebook post