62 Indonesian Citizens Rescued From Confinement In Cambodia, House Commission IX Urges BP2MI To Increase Migrant Worker Protection

Member of Commission IX of the House of Representatives PAN Saleh Partaonan Daulay/DOK Nailin In Saroh-VOI

JAKARTA - The House of Representatives Commission (DPR) IX highlighted 62 Indonesian citizens (WNI) who were rescued after being held captive by an online scammer company in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

A member of Commission IX of the DPR from the PAN faction, Saleh Partaonan Daulay, urged the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) to increase protection measures so that similar incidents do not happen again.

"I urge BP2MI to increase efforts related to the protection of these migrant workers", Saleh told reporters, Monday, August 1.

Saleh considered that BP2MI should be at the forefront of efforts to protect Indonesian citizens who want to work with placements abroad. Because, according to him, the role of BP2MI tends to be absent in the incident of the detention of dozens of Indonesian citizens in Cambodia.

"If I look at the Cambodian case, BP2MI seems a bit absent, doesn't it. So its role is not very visible. Therefore, we urge them to stand at the forefront of these protection efforts", said Saleh.

"With their involvement, of course there will be systematic coordination efforts in the protection of our migrant workers", he added.

The chairman of the PAN faction of the DPR also asked the government to take firm action against the perpetrators involved in illegally sending Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) to other countries. This, he said, has been regulated in Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers.

"We urge those who are involved in sending migrant workers illegally to be dealt with firmly, because to create a deterrent effect on employers providing labor services in other countries. that", said the chairman of the PAN.

In addition, the Legislator for the North Sumatra II Dapil also asked the Ministry of Manpower (Kemenaker) to increase professional training for PMIs. "I urge the Ministry of Manpower to increase job training for PMI candidates", said Saleh.

Saleh hopes that in the future PMI working abroad will no longer be limited to domestic workers or the informal sector, but also proliferate into the formal sector.

"We hope that these trained workers are sent so that those sent are no longer domestic workers or domestic workers. But if possible in the future we will send Indonesian migrant workers in the formal sector and industrial sector abroad", said Saleh.

"That way, workers who are sent are truly professional and can indeed be protected properly by our country and the country of placement", he continued.

Previously, as many as 7 Indonesian citizens (WNI) were rescued from the confinement of an online scammer company in Sihanoukville, Cambodia.

The seven Indonesian citizens were rescued by the Cambodian Police together with the Indonesian Embassy in Phnom Penh, Sunday, July 31. This brings the total number of Indonesian citizens who have been released to be 62.

"They should be sent home. I don't have any information yet", said Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Teuku Faizasyah, Sunday, July 31.