PETALING JAYA: The hiring of Indonesian domestic workers in Malaysia has hit another bump after the republic barred the direct hiring of its citizens here through Malaysia’s MyTravelPass facility.
The Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur confirmed that Jakarta had barred new placements of Indonesian workers to Malaysia using MyTravelPass.
Foreigners are required to use MyTravelPass to enter Malaysia while the country’s borders are shut due to Covid-19 restrictions.
“Those who are going to Malaysia for the purpose of employment and only have MyTravelPass with them will not be allowed to leave,” embassy counsellor and coordinator of consular affairs Rijal Al Huda told The Star yesterday.
Under the MyTravelPass facility operated by the Immigration Department, expatriates, professional visit pass holders and those who have been offered a job or entry into higher education institutions, among others, can apply to enter Malaysia.
Others who have emergencies linked to immediate family members involving a death or critical illness can also use the system.
The MyTravelPass facility was also extended to foreign domestic workers with an existing valid Temporary Employment Visit Pass (PLKS) to re-enter Malaysia to resume employment in June 2020 after the first movement control order was lifted.
Rijal said the policy of temporarily halting the new placement of workers in other countries, including Malaysia, had been in place since the start of the Covid-19 pandemic.
However, he added that the placement of Indonesian workers in some countries had been gradually carried out, but not yet for Malaysia.
Indonesia stopped the supply of maids to Malaysia until a memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the recruitment and placement of Indonesian domestic workers is signed.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan had earlier said that the Cabinet decided on Feb 11 that the MOU should be signed as soon as possible.
National Organisation of Private Service Agencies Malaysia secretary-general Dr Sukumaran Nair said the Indonesian government was taking action against those who tried to enter Malaysia illegally.
“Perhaps this is also part of its measures to slow down or discourage its workers from travelling outside, and to push them to stay and work in Indonesia instead,” he added.
Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia president Datuk Foo Yong Hooi said Jakarta should separate the issues between formal and informal sectors.
“The minor issues should not hinder the MOU between the two countries. We suggest that both countries sign the MOU on the formal sector first instead of waiting for the issue to be resolved in its entirety,” he added.
Foo said the Human Resources Ministry had been trying hard to find a solution to the matter.
“We hope that Indonesia will do the same. Our business community can’t wait any longer.
“The pulling of workers from other companies has been rampant as many are struggling to survive,” noted Foo.
Malaysian Employers Federation (MEF) president Datuk Dr Syed Hussain Syed Husman said many employers were still waiting for the arrival of new foreign workers.
“With the opening up of the economic sectors, employers need foreign labour in many sectors like plantation, construction, manufacturing, restaurants and services,” he said.
MEF was proposing that the recruitment and management of foreign workers – including foreign domestic workers – be placed under one ministry for efficiency and business efficacy, he added.
He suggested that the Human Resources Ministry be given the sole mandate to administer and manage the recruitment of foreign workers, including foreign domestic workers under the One Channel System.
“A one-stop centre under the ministry would be able to resolve most of the issues on recruitment and management of foreign workers,” said Syed Hussein.
Due to the freeze on recruitment of foreign workers and the inability to replace those whose PLKS had expired in the last two years, he said employers were facing a serious shortage of workers.