Indonesia Hopes Malaysia Can Soon Issue Details of Foreign Worker Recalibration Program

JAKARTA, KOMPAS.com – Indonesia hoped that Malaysia can soon provide a standard operating procedure under its foreign labor recalibration program (RTK) 2.0 recently announced.

The statement came after Indonesia’s Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah received a courtesy call from Malaysia’s Home Affairs Minister Saifuddin Nasution Ismail on Monday, Jan. 30, in Jakarta.

The SOP will be used as a reference for undocumented migrants who have been employed in Malaysia for a long time.

“We hope the SOP [standard operating procedures] can be issued soon as reference for illegal immigrants who have been working in Malaysia,” the Indonesian minister said.

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By participating in the RTK 2.0 program, undocumented immigrants can be hired by qualified employers based on the conditions set by Malaysian Home Affairs Ministry and Immigration Department.

The two countries have agreed to continue building good communication in the field of labor to create a mutually beneficial relationship.

“I believe, with the support of Datuk Seri Saifuddin Nasution bin Ismail, cooperation between the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia, especially in the field of manpower, can produce more concrete solutions,” Ida said.

The two ministers discussed ways to resolve issues on the protection of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in Malaysia, especially those working in the domestic sector.

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“There are many things that must be discussed regarding the protection scheme for domestic sector PMI in Malaysia, following the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the placement and protection of domestic sector Indonesian migrant workers (MSP PMID) in Malaysia,” Ida said after the meeting.

She added that the meeting discussed the progress of the protection scheme following the 1st Joint Working Group (JWG), the 2nd JWG, and the signing of the MSP PMID.

Meanwhile, Minister Nasution said that the meeting was a follow-up to the one between President Joko Widodo and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim some time ago.

RTK 2.0 will make it easier for PMIs who are already in Malaysia to find a qualified employer to continue their employment, he added.

Source: State News Antara