It will look at benefits for Indonesian workers, including maids, says Indonesian minister.

KUALA LUMPUR: Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to review the mechanism of recruitment and management of Indonesian workers here in a bilateral meeting today.In a statement, the home ministry said the bilateral meeting between Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi and Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Minister Hanif Dhakiri had focused on the management of Indonesian workers here.

“Based on the cooperation and close relations between both countries, the Malaysian Government and Indonesia are taking initiatives to review the mechanism of hiring and managing Indonesian workers in Malaysia.

“It is hoped this will bring a positive impact to both nations and benefit both Indonesian workers and employers in Malaysia,” said the statement on the sidelines of the 10th Asean Ministerial Meeting on Transnational Crime (AMMTC) and its related meetings today.

Meanwhile, Hanif, when met by reporters after the meeting, said the review would look at benefits for Indonesian workers, including domestic workers here.
“Today, we agreed to re-look the issues related to our workers in this country, including the return of our illegal workers and re-hiring of those already having working permits,” he said.

Earlier, he had also paid a courtesy call on Zahid after attending the 2nd AMMTC+Japan.

Hanif said officers from both countries would meet in the middle of this month to review and refine the mechanism of re-hiring and managing Indonesian workers here.

In the meantime, Indonesian national police chief Gen (Pol) Badrodin Haiti when met by reporters said Indonesia had brought up the issue of combating non-traditional maritime crime, including illegal unreported and unregulated (IUU) fishing during a series of meetings in the AMMTC.

“We would like to seek the attention of Asean members to focus on the IUU fishing issue since it had become a concern for Indonesia which incurs an average loss of US$20 million per year,” he said.

He said IUU fishing was closely related to the human trafficking issue in the region.

On this, he said Indonesia saw the Asean Convention on Trafficking in Persons, especially women and children, and the Asean Plan of Action against trafficking in persons, especially women and children, as crucial and needing immediate implementation. – BERNAMA

http://www.freemalaysiatoday.com/category/nation/2015/10/01/msia-indonesia-to-review-mechanism-to-hire-workers/