Overcoming The Mode Of Cheap Illegal Workers, Minister Karding Wants To Reorganize The Internship Scheme Abroad

JAKARTA - Minister of Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI), Abdul Kadir Karding, encourages foreign internship programs to be regulated through a one-door scheme to prevent the practice of placing undercover cheap workers.

So far, the matter of sending interns abroad is under the authority of the Ministry of Manpower. However, Karding admitted that he had discussed with the Minister of Manpower to synergize the arrangement of the internship scheme.

"Because internships have been carried out all this time, without data collection. We don't know the quality of their preparation. So in the future, we will arrange it," said Karding at the KemenP2MI office, Jakarta, quoted from the official release of the Ministry of P2MI, Tuesday, July 15.

Minister Karding received a visit from the Founder of Bosowa Group, HM Aksa Mahmud.

This affirmation emerged following a number of cases of violations of the law involving Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were interns in Japan, including robbery of the elderly and theft at school.

According to Karding, the two to three-year internship period resembles a full working period, and is often used as a gap by companies in destination countries to earn cheap labor without an official work contract.

"Work and internships are different. If you work, the contracts are clear and the sales are better. Well, this is what we want to arrange so that there is no covert mode from the placement country," he said.

Even so, Karding has no intention of banning foreign internship activities. He just wants the system to be reorganized so as not to be misused. One of the schemes offered is to make internships a transition route to formal work.

"For example, an internship was only a year ago appointed as a permanent worker who was registered as a migrant worker. Or return to Indonesia and work at a company that sends it," he explained.

KemenP2MI juga tengah mendorong kolaborasi dengan sektor swasta, termasuk Bosowa Grup, untuk meningkatkan kualitas sumber daya manusia (HR) yang akan ditempatkan di luar negeri.

So far, the majority of Indonesian migrant workers are domestic workers. Karding assessed that it was time for Indonesia to send more skilled workers who were trained professionally before leaving.

"We are very open if Bosowa wants to invest in HR training. This can be part of Bosowa's development as well, because after two years of working abroad, they can return and become an important part of the company," he said.

"So we change the paradigm: from internship to worker. The salary is better, and they come home with knowledge, skills, and new enthusiasm," concluded Karding.