President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono announced last week an extension in the tenure of the special task force on Indonesian migrant workers, a policy that is expected to give protection to migrant workers.

At least 67 Indonesian migrant workers in Saudi Arabia, Malaysia, China and Iran, who earlier faced death penalties, ultimately managed to walk free thanks to the task force’s legal advocacy.

House of Representatives member Amran Herlini praised the President’s decision, saying migrant workers overseas still needed the task force to advocate for them.

Amran, a member of House Commission VIII on manpower affairs, said on Sunday she hoped the task force could help migrant workers in legal struggles overseas.

“The task force should not feel burdened by all problems faced by Indonesian migrant workers,” Amran was quoted by Antara as saying.

While she expressed appreciation for the work of the task force, Amran suggested that all ministries related to migrant workers should also play bigger roles in protecting such workers.

Coordinating Political, Legal and Security Affairs Minister Djoko Suyanto said the President lauded the work of the task force, which had saved several migrant workers from execution.

Based on its good performance, the President has extended the task force’s tenure for another six months.

The task force, which was established in July last year, comprises former religious affairs minister Maftuh Basyuni, former National Police chief Bambang Hendarso Danuri and former attorney general Hendarman Supandji.

The task force’s members focus on migrant workers facing the death penalty in different countries, including Malaysia, China, Saudi Arabia and Iran.

Earlier, the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry said it would stop sending maids abroad by 2017, following numerous cases of abuse, murder and executions involving Indonesian workers.

Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said last week that the plan was part of the ministry’s road map that it was drafting.

“Implementation will be tough, given that Indonesia sends abroad around 650,000 migrant workers every year,” he said.

The minister said that should Indonesia continue sending domestic workers overseas, they would have to be treated the same as formal workers.

Migrant workers, he went on, had the right to limited working hours, days off, a minimum wage and insurance.

He also said the ministry would apply such a scheme when it resumed sending migrant workers to Malaysia in March.

Muhaimin said the government had decided to maintain its current ban on recruitment agencies sending Indonesian workers to Saudi Arabia, Jordan, Syria and Kuwait.

“Those countries have not adopted a legal framework that we think is sufficient to legally protect our workers and assure that their rights are fulfilled,” Muhaimin said.

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