Malaysia to integrate system with Indonesia, minister says on foreign worker freeze

Malaysia has agreed in principle to integrate its system with Indonesia regarding the recruitment of foreign workers into the country, Human Resources Minister M Saravanan said today.

He said this would enable both countries to possess information on the entry of Indonesian workers into Malaysia.

"During our discussions with Indonesia, they suggested using the existing One Channel System in Indonesia... for now, we, through the home ministry,use the Maid Online System which Indonesia claims does not provide information on workers from Indonesia entering Malaysia.

"With the One Channel System, they will be able to monitor and following discussions with the home ministry.

"We agreed in principle to integrate the existing system with the home ministry and the system by Indonesia so that both countries will have this information," he said during the ministers’ question time in the Dewan Rakyat.

He was responding to a supplementary question from Steven Choong Shiau Yoon (PBM-Tebrau) on the impact of the temporary freeze by Indonesia on its citizens coming to work in Malaysia, and measures to address the problem.

Saravanan said the ministry was aware of Malaysia's need for foreign workers and that the matter would be resolved soon.

To a supplementary question from Anthony Loke Siew Fook (PH-Seremban) on whether there was a condition in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and Indonesia on the abolition of the Maid Online System, Saravanan said there was no such condition.

He said the MoU between Malaysia and Indonesia on the recruitment and placement of Indonesian domestic workers was signed on April 1.

The MoU paved the way for the entry of Indonesian workers for employment in other sectors in the country, including domestic maids, he said.

However, on July 12, the Indonesian government announced a temporary suspension of the entry of Indonesian workers into Malaysia due to confusion arising over the mechanism of hiring Indonesian domestic workers in the country.

Home Minister Hamzah Zainudin said discussions on the matter between the Malaysian and Indonesian governments started yesterday.