REPUBLIKA.CO.ID, KOTA KINABALU - Ambassador of Indonesia to Kuala Lumpur Rusdi Kirana proposed a moratorium or temporary suspension on sending housemaids from Indonesia to Malaysia.
"If the central government approves, the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur will propose a moratorium on Indonesian domestic workers," Rusdi Kirana said on the sidelines of his first visit to Sabah State, Malaysia on Thursday.
Rusdi stated his proposal after conducting a meeting with Indonesian Consulate in Kuching, Johar Gultom; Indonesian Consulate in Kota Kinabalu, Akhmad DH Irfan, and Indonesian Consulate in Tawau, Krisna Djelani.
He said he will send a letter to Minister of Manpower of Indonesia Hanif Dhakiri in accordance with official procedures to conduct the moratorium.
"I have had discussions with Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia. Because the discussion about salary of our domestic workers is difficult to reach a conclusion, it will be better if we conduct a moratorium," he explained.
The moratorium does require endorsement from President Joko Widodo through a proposal from Ministry of Manpower. The main reason for moratorium of domestic workers, he said, is because of salary deduction by maid agents of RM 300 to RM 400 for six months.
"If President Joko Widodo accepts the proposal, we will carry out the moratorium. But we need to follow all procedures and diplomacy process," he explained.
Rusdi suggested Indonesia to send formal workers only, if informal workers are no longer needed. "If the salary deduction is done continuously to the housemaid, they will have no spirit to work," he said.
He explained, domestic workers issues are often a problem for bilateral relations between Indonesia and Malaysia. He said, Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia will not have their passport extended, but will be given Travel License Passport (SPLP) to return to the country.
According to data collected by the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, 70 complaints made everyday by housemaids. The number of Indonesian housemaids until August 2017 reached about 230 thousand people.
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