Indonesia has expressed hope that discussions between Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources and the Ministry of Home Affairs will lead to constructive solutions regarding the entry of Indonesian workers into the country.
Director for the Protection of Indonesian Citizens at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs of the Republic of Indonesia, Judha Nugraha, said Jakarta is awaiting further clarification from Malaysian authorities while emphasising the need for continued commitment to discontinue the use of the Maid Online System (SMO).
Indonesia temporarily halted the deployment of its workers to Malaysia starting Tuesday after claiming it had uncovered evidence that the SMO mechanism was still being applied in the recruitment of Indonesian domestic workers.
According to Judha, the SMO recruitment channel falls outside the framework agreed upon by both governments under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed on April 1 this year.
“The SMO system is a recruitment mechanism that is not in line with the terms mutually agreed upon in the MoU between Indonesia and Malaysia,” he said during the ministry’s recent weekly press briefing.
The MoU stipulates that the placement of Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia must be conducted through the One Channel System to ensure a more structured and transparent process, particularly in matters relating to wages and worker protection.
In response to the issue, Malaysia’s Ministry of Human Resources said in a statement on Wednesday that it would promptly hold discussions with the Ministry of Home Affairs to address concerns surrounding the recruitment and entry of Indonesian workers.
The ministry acknowledged the need to coordinate closely with relevant stakeholders to resolve technical and procedural matters linked to the existing recruitment systems.
The temporary suspension by Indonesia has drawn attention to the importance of adhering strictly to bilateral agreements governing the recruitment and placement of domestic workers, an area that has historically required close cooperation between the two neighbouring countries.
Jakarta reiterated that it remains committed to ensuring safe, orderly and mutually beneficial labour migration arrangements, while looking forward to a positive outcome from Malaysia’s internal deliberations on the matter.
-HR HUB
