Govt urged to stop sending maids abroad

Govt urged to stop sending maids abroad

JAKARTA (JP): Legislators urged the government yesterday to
stop exporting maids to Saudi Arabia and elsewhere, a practice
which has led to widespread physical and sexual abuse.

In a hearing with Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief, members
of the House of Representatives (DPR) Commission VI on labor
affairs said the women have no legal protection and that maid
exports have tainted Indonesia's image.

House member Soenardjo from the ruling Golkar party said that
some countries view maids as slaves and treat them accordingly.

"Maids live under the same roof with their employers and many
of them are subject to physical and sexual harassment," said
Soenardjo in the meeting led by legislator Erie Soekardja.

Legislators of the commission recently visited Saudi Arabia to
obtain first-hand information about the situation of Indonesian
women working in Saudi households as maids.

Commission member Ismu reported that thousands of maids to
date have been raped by their Saudi employers and abandoned once
the employers discover they're pregnant.

"It's tragic. The ministry should do something to safeguard
the nation's good name," he said.

Thousands of unskilled Indonesians work in Saudi Arabia and
Malaysia and the practice continues in spite of continuous public
criticism. The government plans to phase out the practice of
exporting unskilled workers and promises better legal protection
for those who continue to work overseas.

"Thousands of Indonesian workers abroad, especially maids,
have been mistreated by their employers and they do not report
their problems to Indonesian officials there. The government has
done little to help them," said legislator Iskandar Manji.

Iskandar suggested that the government establish a board to
supervise labor exports and to assist Indonesian workers in
trouble overseas.

Latief said the government had also considered creating such a
supervisory board and said that he would discuss the proposal
with President Soeharto.

He said that the problems facing Indonesian workers in Saudi
Arabia and Malaysia need to be resolved through a "conceptual
approach". He did not elaborate.

He said, however, that the Indonesian government has
established a committee to discuss the issue with the Saudi and
Malaysian government. (29)