Protecting Indonesian Domestic Migrant Workers in Malaysia Through Renewed Agreement

As social beings, neighbors make for a great support system. They are the closest people we should be able to count on when needs arise. For neighboring countries Indonesia and Malaysia, domestic migrant workers have been a long-standing, established tie that binds. Recently, these countries renewed an agreement on Indonesian domestic migrant workers in Malaysia.

The Reality

Hermono, Indonesia’s Ambassador to Malaysia, says that there are approximately 2.7 million Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia. This number is not accurate, as he estimates that only about one-third of workers are documented.

These undocumented workers often face danger trying to get to Malaysia, usually on boats. In March, Jakarta Post reported that at least two Indonesian workers died and 26 others were missing after their wooden boat sank.

Reports of abuse of Indonesian migrant workers are also common, resulting in diplomatic tensions between the two countries. These workers have little to no access to legal protections due to the lack of proper regulations.

In 2017, Indonesia passed the Migrant Worker Protection Law. This law exists to protect workers’ rights in the destination countries. Indonesia insists on signing a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the placement and protection of Indonesian workers with destination countries.

The Negotiations

Indonesia and Malaysia had had a bilateral agreement on this matter since 2006. However, the agreement expired in 2016, leaving Indonesian migrant workers with nothing for five years.

Malaysia was facing a labor shortage due to the COVID-19 pandemic. This opportunity opened negotiations between the neighboring countries on domestic migrant workers again. One of Indonesia’s demands was for Malaysia to abolish its Maid Online system.

Maid Online is a direct hiring platform that allows migrant domestic workers to enter Malaysia without appropriate procedures. This prevents them from being protected under Indonesia’s Migrant Worker Protection Law. Indonesia also asked that visa processing costs not be borne by the prospective workers.

The New Agreement

After lengthy negotiations, Indonesia and Malaysia signed a Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers in the Domestic Sector in Malaysia on April 1st, 2022.

The MoU was signed by the Indonesian Minister of Manpower Ida Fauziyah and the Malaysian Minister of Human Resources Dato’ Sri M. Saravanan. The signing was witnessed by President Joko “Jokowi” Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Dato’ Sri Ismail Sabri Yaakob at the Merdeka Palace, Jakarta.

“The MoU will, among other things, regulate the use of a one-channel system for the entire process of placing, monitoring, and returning Indonesian Migrant Workers so that the measures can be monitored properly,” said President Joko Widodo in a joint press statement after the signing of the MoU.

The implementation of the MoU is expected to happen as soon as possible. Additionally, President Joko Widodo also encouraged similar cooperation in other sectors such as plantation, agriculture, manufacturing, and service sectors for decent work for all.

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Nazalea Kusuma

Managing Editor at Green Network Asia | Website | + posts

Naz is the Manager of International Digital Publications at Green Network Asia. She is an experienced and passionate writer, editor, proofreader, translator, and creative designer with over a decade of portfolio. Her history of living in multiple areas across Southeast Asia and studying Urban and Regional Planning exposed her to diverse peoples and cultures, enriching her perspectives and sharpening her intersectionality mindset in her storytelling and advocacy on sustainability-related issues and sustainable development.