Jakarta Manpower Office Urged to Act Firmly on 'Mau Print' Modern Slavery Allegations

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Special Adviser to the President on Labour and Social Welfare, Said Iqbal, has urged the Jakarta Manpower, Transmigration and Energy Agency (Disnakertransgi) to move swiftly in cracking down on alleged labour violations and modern slavery practices at the ‘Mau Print’ printing shop in Central Jakarta.

‘I ask the Head of the Supervision Division to quickly determine whether this is a micro, small, or medium enterprise (UMKM) or a non-UMKM. That must be decided quickly. I believe a decision should be made by Monday (6/7),’ Said stated during a press conference at Metro Jaya Police Headquarters on Friday.

Said stressed that labour law enforcement must run concurrently with the criminal investigation currently being handled by the police. Based on his field findings, the workers were allegedly subjected to severe exploitation with wages far below humane standards. ‘I found that they were paid Rp500,000. That is extremely inhumane. How can a person survive working like that? Rp500,000 is already slavery. Therefore, a supervisory notice must be issued,’ he asserted.

He also urged the agency’s supervision division to take firm action regarding the business operations of the suspected perpetrator, who is believed to own several outlets. ‘You can do business, you can run a company, but do it properly. Do not exploit and create slavery,’ Said Iqbal emphasised.

Beyond the wage issues, Said Iqbal highlighted the severe psychological trauma suffered by the victims and their families due to alleged intimidation by certain individuals. ‘Please pay attention to this, because when I visited them yesterday, they were very frightened, especially the father. That was my finding on the ground; they were terrified,’ he said.

Meanwhile, Metro Jaya Police Public Relations Head, Commissioner Budi Hermanto, affirmed the police’s commitment to ensuring the safety and security of the victims through a dedicated integrated team. ‘We are conveying that Metro Jaya Police will guarantee a sense of security for the victims. This is a concrete manifestation of the integrated team formed by the Metro Jaya Police Chief,’ Budi stated.

Regarding the reports of intimidation against the victims, Budi confirmed that the police would conduct a deeper investigation while prioritising the victims’ psychological recovery. ‘We have also heard that information, but we still need to communicate with the victims and their lawyers. We must assess the right conditions so as not to cause further trauma to the victims,’ Budi concluded.