Other Publications
RI ban could push more illegals to KL
The Jakarta Post , THE JAKARTA POST , JAKARTA, MALANG, PALEMBANG | Mon, 06/29/2009 12:34 PM | Headlines
Jakarta has been cautioned that its decision to suspend the sending of maids to Malaysia in protest against rampant cases of abuse could prompt more Indonesians to work illegally in the neighboring country.
"The government should anticipate the socio-economic impact of the decision," International Labor Organization (ILO) national project coordinator A.Y. Bonasahat said according to Antara after addressing a seminar on human trafficking in Jember, East Java, on Saturday.
He warned the suspension could lead to an increase of people going to Malaysia to work illegally.
He said several hundred women seeking work in Malaysia are believed to have standing arrangements with several centers run by private labor agencies across Indonesia and that middlemen could turn on their clients.
"The middlemen would ask for their money back from the workers that would make the workers trapped in debt," Bonasahat added.
"The government must consider the problems and find the right solution for them so that the political decision would not become a boomerang for Indonesia."
Similar concerns were voiced by deputy Malang regent Rendra Kresna, who urged the government to provide regional administrations with immediate solutions to the these problems.
He said the decision would not stop Indonesian workers from going to Malaysia via "illegal channels".
Malang, East Java is the biggest supplier of maids to Malaysia. Last year it sent more than 5,500 workers and in 2009 it is on track to send more than 6,600.
South Sumatra Governor Alex Noerdin meanwhile supported the suspension, saying all parties involved should work together to solve the problem.
"We *should* think of how to create jobs in this country. They *migrant workers* go overseas because there are no jobs available in the country with decent salaries."
The temporary ban has been protested by the Malaysian Association of Foreign Housemaids Agencies.
Association president Raja Zulkeply Dahalan said the suspension could prompt more Indonesians to work illegally in his country.
He said some 4,000 Indonesian maids were recruited to work in Malaysia each month before Indonesia issued the ban, which it will enforce until Kuala Lumpur ensures protections for them.
"If this deadlock continues, everybody will lose," Raja Zulkeply told The Associated Press.
Senior officials from both countries will hold talks to settle the dispute on July 15.
What's On
- Franchise & Business Concept
11/13/2009 11/15/2009 Jakarta Convention Center - Indonesia Furniture Fair
11/14/2009 11/22/2009 Jakarta Convention Center - Indonesia Maternity & Baby Expo 2009
11/20/2009 11/22/2009 Jakarta Convention Center
- Festival of India
10/29/2009 12/15/2009 Balai Kartini & Umar Ismail Hall, Jakarta
- Best Dutch Books Designs
10/08/2009 11/12/2009 Erasmus Huis, Jl. H.R. Rasuna Said Kav S-3, Kuningan, South Jakarta (Tel. 5241069) - Imagemakers of the Future: Photography exhibition
10/10/2009 11/30/2009 Alila Ubud Desa Melinggih Kelod Payangan, Gianyar 80572, Bali - Power of the Shape. Sculpture exhibition by Dolorosa Sinaga
10/29/2009 11/15/2009 Kendra Gallery of Contemporary Art, Bali Until Nov. 15 Jl. Drupadi No.88B, Basangkasa Seminyak, Bali
Helena van der Winden (not verified) — Sun, 07/05/2009 - 3:15pm
This political decision is not really practical. For the short term, what the Indonesians have to do is to co-operate with the Malaysians in order to protect the workers. At the end of the day, Malaysians and Indonesians share the same historical background.
However, for the long term, there should be concrete effort from the Indonesians, so that these young women do not go to countries which are relatively uncivilized (Arab countries included). Increasing the level of education and skill is as much important as creating the jobs at home. If you still want to send maids, then you have to send them to countries which are civilized.
Gatot S (not verified) — Sun, 07/05/2009 - 11:07am
Slam, I agree with you. It seems like Indonesian media and lately more often by Jakarta Post has been picking on maid abuses that happen in Malaysia. There are many abuses of Indonesian maids and workers going on Arab countries too but rarely put on top of discussions by the media. Recently there are hundreds of indonesian workers in Jordan that Indonesian govertment has to repratiate back home due to mistreatment there. Why Jakarta Post didn't report this ?? Unless there's a good reason behind this, some people may start think that some in the media deliberately try to stoke confrontation between Indonesia and Malaysia (who happen to be of the same culture) for the advantage of other groups. To my fellow Indonesians, be careful not to be provoked.
But to my brothers in Malaysia : you also need to shape up and really look hard at your own behaviors toward Indonesians. You tend to look down on us. You're only richer than us because you're only 10% of our population, smaller in size, not as culturally diverse and therefore much much more easier to manage. Remember that at the beginning of your independence many Indonesian teachers were sent to Malaysia to help in setting up education curriculum and teach there. Without them, Malaysia will not be where it is now. Can Malaysians do the hard construction work that we do ? Walk on the beams at high rise building constructions all over Malaysia like Indonesians workers do ?? Be grateful and humble.
SLAIM (not verified) — Fri, 07/03/2009 - 10:10pm
I have been monitoring the Indonesian media regularly. The media in Indonesia majority are terribly biased. They are competing each other to write the best stories to condemn Malaysia sometimes without substance. Why is it that they only harp and pick on Malaysia? Why not the Arabs too ? Is it because simply they are being jealous of that country for being ahead in many aspects as well as Indonesians cannot accept the fact that generally Malaysians as the smaller brother are well off than their big brother. Frankly look at the Indonesian maids that were sent to Arab countries. Do you ever hear that arabs employers put to trial in a court of law if they committ wrongdoing to their maids? There are many terrible cases of the maids being raped, tortured and even murdered. Some got pregnant and shame to come back home resulting many killed themselves. Why was it that these were not highlighted prominently by the Indonesian media? Are the Indonesians media as well as the politicians afraid of the Arabs?
Look at the recent Manohara case. Day in day out the media industry are racing each other to cover the story much to the delight of the Manohara mother laughing all the way to the bank signing lucrative contracts for dramas and advertisements for her daughter. The case is a personal matter but why involve the demo to the Malaysian Embassy? On the maids, some Indonesian politicians are very shallow in their mentality making decisions not thinking of the consequances only to serve their own interest without due regard to the majority poor who would sacrificed everything just to earn a living in Malaysia. What if the politicians themselves in their shoe ? What should they do to support their family? Also Indonesians generally are very emotional people who would demonstrate just for a minor friction and you can see the frequent demo outside the Malaysian Embassy. Or is that they have no other job and easily being used by the NGOs or political parties to demonstrate? I have not heard of any demos by Malaysians in their home country to our Indonesian Embassy maybe because they are all busy with their work compared to our Indonesians who majority are free and unemployed.
So if Indonesians want to progress and beat the Malaysians in all aspects then it is high time they should discard their negative mentality and not being too emotional. It is high time that they should throw away their "Ganyang Malaysia " attitude for the slightest misunderstanding. If we keep on thinking negatively and do not want to progress we will never be able to catch on the Malaysians. Remember they have been to the moon the first in ASEAN. To remind the Indoensians, you are the one and first to create the "tempeh- soya bean cake" but the Japanese patented it world wide. But do you know that the Malaysians took it the moon?
So what did the Indonesians do to the "tempeh" to protect it ? Nothing , because they are too busy with petty things and too emotional until they forgot their own heritage staple food being taken away by others.
Ali Syekh (not verified) — Fri, 07/03/2009 - 9:25am
There are many indonesian maids work in Hongkong and Taiwan but you didn't or rarely hear cases of maid abuses in those countries or abuses of foreign workers in general unlike in Malaysia. This is despite Malaysia being a country with the same language, people and culture with Indonesia. Why ?? because Hongkong and Taiwan are democratic countries governed by rule of law including law that gives protection to foreign workers. Malaysia is not a democratic country. It is an authoration one party rule country run with a law of the jungle. Until Malaysia becomes democratic, don't expect abuses to stop.
But I agree with everybody else. RI government must create jobs at home at DECENT pay. What I heard is even with decent job, the pay is so bad that many seek jobs as maids abroad. Or I suggest that government should reduce the number of companies that send women to work overseas as maids or ask these companies to provide training for nursing or caretaker and english so they work as nurses in western countries. There are huge demands for nurses and senior caretakers in US and Canada. There are more money to be made here than in maids business.
Wahidah (not verified) — Tue, 06/30/2009 - 8:51am
I fully agree with ILO. Create jobs first in Indonesia before politicizing the issue. Your politician may use this issue for political gain but in the end your people are losing.
Irsan Nuzuludin (not verified) — Tue, 06/30/2009 - 12:03am
I agree with South Sumatran Governor, Alex Noerdin, on creating more jobs in Indonesia to reduce the number of women sent to Malaysia to work. It's always sad to see another young woman mutilated or having to lose her life for the sake of a few Ringgits. We should restrict the number of our migrant workers sent to Malaysia for some time until both the Indonesian and Malaysian governments create tougher laws to protect migrant workers from abuse and deception on both sides of the border.