JAKARTA - Member of the Legislation Body (Baleg) of the DPR from the PDI-P faction (PDIP) Abidin Fikri agreed with the proposal of the DPR Baleg Expert (TA) regarding the substance of the third amendment to Law Number 18 of 2017 concerning the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI). One of the points is institutional adjustments/nomenclature from the body to the Ministry.

According to Abidin, the change or revision of the PMI Law is a logical consequence of the Job Creation Law which must indeed adapt to existing developments.

"Indeed, Law Number 18 of 2017 is indeed one of the laws that appeals very strictly between BNP2TKI and the Ministry of Manpower. Substantially, Indonesian migrant workers were not allowed to work if they did not have expertise, so we cannot send unskill workers so the context of the name of the law is protection, not placement," said Abidin at the DPR Baleg plenary meeting at the Nusantara I Building, Parliament Complex, Senayan, Jakarta, Thursday, January 30.

"So the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Law, which is prioritized for its protection, is not placement. So the substance conveyed must go into that point, the protection of Indonesian migrant workers," he continued.

Abidin then brought up the change in the name of the National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers (BNP2TKI) to become the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI). However, he considered the need for state involvement to take care of Indonesian migrant workers.

So that the PDIP legislator from the East Java IX electoral district agreed that the PMI issue was handled by a minister, not only the head of the agency. Moreover, in the government, President Prabowo Subianto BP2MI has turned into a ministry.

At that time, said Abidin, the minister's proposal had evaporated when Nusron Wahid became the Head of BP2MI. However, there was an interesting tug of war with the Minister of Manpower Hanif Dharmakiri. It is known, my Indonesian migrant workers are still under the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of Manpower.

"Well, what has not been achieved, as proposed by our TA, used to ask the minister to be a matter of protecting migrant workers. Now, Mr. Nusron and Mr. Hanif Dhabiri, when they were still ministers, finally there was an agreement (PMI management) to coordinate with the minister of manpower," said Abidin.

"Well, those who want the idea to be returned first, I think this is right, sir, there must be a minister who takes care of it," he continued.

Abidin said that although PMI's protection funds were very large in foreign ministries, the authority was only for the protection of citizens.

"This doesn't have a context. For workers, workers in the law, but if anyone in the Foreign Ministry, basically Indonesian citizens want to work, whatever they want, they must be protected by the state so that there must be a labor attach, etc.," he said.

Therefore, Abidin assessed that there needs to be a ministry that specifically takes care of the Protection of Indonesian migrant workers such as in neighboring countries. It is known that President Prabowo has formed a nomenclature of the Ministry of Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers (KP2MI) itself led by minister Abdul Kadir Karding.

"I think that's possible, later when it's finished (the preparation), it's very exciting because there is the authority of the Ministry of Foreign Affairs, the Ministry of Manpower, which we want to take to oversee one employment sector. And several countries already exist, the Philippines is also the minister itself, we can see the Philippines, the ministry itself," concluded Abidin Fikri.

Previously, the DPR Baleg Expert Team, Mansyur, read out the substance of the third amendment to Law No. 18 of 2017 concerning PMI Protection. Mansyur revealed that what is the background in the framework of drafting a revision, namely the transfer of authority to protect PMI from the Ministry of Manpower to the Ministry of Protection for Indonesian Migrant Workers requires adjustments to the regulations in Law No. 18 of 2017.

The adjustments in the law are the first, institutional adjustments/nomenclature from the agency to the Ministry. Two, the addition of arrangements related to the function of promotion and utilization of job opportunities related to marketing. Three, adjustments to the nomenclature of the atnaker changed to the PMI protection office.

"Fourth, the adjustment of the term to the crew of the Migrant Fisheries Ship and the crew of the Migrant Commercial Ship. Five, the expansion of PMI coverage by adding internship participants. Six, distribution of information on foreign work opportunities by P3MI in collaboration with the Ministry of LTSA, UPT, Regional Government and Villages.

"Seven, strengthening protection before work. Eight, strengthening protection while working. Nine, strengthening protection after work. Ten, strengthening social security participation," said Mansyur.


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