Indonesia has only processed 10 maids so far to work as domestic helpers in Malaysia, says Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono.
According to The Star, Hermono said Indonesia is looking into phasing itself out as a source country for domestic helpers to Malaysia due to various issues.
Apart from Malaysia, Hermono said Indonesia is also working on phasing out maids to Arab countries as well.
“Among the common issues faced by Indonesian maids in Malaysia are mistreatment and unpaid salaries.”
“However, there is no specific year set for Indonesia to fully stop sending out maids,” he said.
In April this year, Malaysia and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding on the Employment and Protection of Indonesian Domestic Workers in Malaysia (MOU PDI).
Under the agreement, workers are entitled to weekly and annual leave, the right to communicate and able to lodge complaints via an online system.
In addition, employers or agencies would no longer be able to withhold passports and allows one maid per household with not more than six people.
Hermono said despite the signing of the MOU PDI, the pilot batch of maids was expected to arrive in mid-July. “The delay is because they require training,” he said.
However, in May, the placement of the first batch of Indonesian domestic workers into the country had been postponed due to the overwhelming demand.
Last month, Hermono said that the number of maids under the first batch depended on the job orders from Malaysian employment agencies and the issuing of work permits by the Immigration Department.
