Indonesia Stops Sending Migrant Workers To Malaysia, Ministry Of Manpower: It’s Part Of Protection

Illustration of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI). (Antaranews)

MATARAM - The Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) stated that the temporary suspension of sending prospective Indonesian migrant workers (CPMI) to Malaysia was intended to protect the prospective workers themselves.

"The sending of CPMIs to Malaysia has indeed been stopped at this time," said the Head of the Center for Development of Manpower Policy at the Ministry of Manpower, Muhyiddin after a coordination meeting with the Praya Work Training Center (BLK) in Central Lombok, West Nusa Tenggara (NTB), Tuesday, July 19.

He said that sending prospective Indonesian migrant workers to Malaysia was not closed forever. However, this is done while waiting for the improvement of the system for sending prospective migrant workers themselves, so that they can provide safety guarantees to Indonesian citizens who want to work abroad.

"This government policy is part of the protection for CPMIs," he said, according to Antara.

Previously, the Manpower and Transmigration Office, Central Lombok Regency, stated that sending Indonesian migraine workers to Malaysia is currently a favorite for residents to try their luck abroad.

"The CPMI registration in Central Lombok currently reaches 200 people per day," said Syamsul Rijal, Head of the Manpower Placement Division at the Central Lombok Manpower and Transmigration Office, in Praya.

After the opening of the faucet for sending prospective migrant workers to Malaysia, the interest of citizens to work abroad is increasingly dominant, where in June it was about 50 people per day who registered and currently it can reach hundreds of people every day.

"Malaysia is still dominant when compared to Hong Kong, Taiwan, Singapore and Saudi Arabia," he said.

The Minister of Manpower (Menaker) Ida Fauziyah stated that Indonesia temporarily suspended the placement of domestic sector migrant workers to Malaysia, because it did not follow the agreement in the MoU to implement a one-channel system on April 1, 2022.

The two countries have signed an MoU on the Placement and Protection of Domestic Sector PMIs in Malaysia on April 1, 2022, which states that placement through a one-channel system is the only way to place domestic sector PMIs into Malaysia.

However, said the Minister of Manpower Ida, the Indonesian representative in Malaysia found evidence that the neighboring country was still implementing a system outside the system that had been agreed with the two countries, namely the online maid system (SMO) managed by the Malaysian Ministry of Home Affairs through the Malaysian Immigration Department.

"This is certainly not in accordance with the agreement and commitment of the two countries because the placement should use a one-channel system," she said