Kuala Lumpur, October 12: The ban on Indonesian maids coming to Malaysia remains for now as that country is in no rush to lift the 28-month moratorium until it is sure that a proper framework is in place and that their welfare is protected.
Indonesian Foreign Affairs Minister Dr Marty Natalegawa said while his country recognised the importance of the Memorandum of Understanding signed last May, it wanted to ensure that it was “ready to go” before the moratorium, enforced since June 2009, was lifted.
“I do not have an actual timeline in my mind, let alone a deadline (on when the ban can be lifted). The MoU is an important step in enabling the lifting of it.
“We have an interest to ensure that the MoU comes into effect sooner than later. But at the same time, we have equal interest to ensure that it is ready to be implemented.
“We are proceeding with extreme caution and in the most diligent way to ensure that the MoU is implemented according to the spirit of it,” he told reporters during a joint press conference with Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman after the 11th Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) meeting here yesterday.
The meeting also discussed the protection and welfare of Indonesian workers here and educational opportunities for their children.
Indonesia, Dr Marty added, was also currently carrying out a general review of the dispatch of its workers overseas, adding that he would raise pending issues, including Anifah’s request for the moratorium to be lifted to the Indonesian Manpower Minister.
Dr Marty also expressed concern over the direct hiring of maids from Indonesia, which was not beneficial in ensuring the protection of workers and employers’ rights and could be stopped with the implementation of the MoU.