Malaysia considers increasing deployment of Indonesian nurses

The Malaysian Foreign Minister, Mohamad Hasan, has welcomed Indonesia’s proposal to expand the placement of Indonesian migrant workers (PMI) in the healthcare sector, particularly nursing, and stated the Malaysian government’s commitment to following up on the proposal. In a joint press statement with Indonesian Foreign Minister Sugiono, following the 17th Indonesia–Malaysia Joint Commission for Bilateral Cooperation (JCBC) in Jakarta on Thursday, Mohamad Hasan noted that Indonesia suggested labour deployment should not be limited to existing sectors. “There is a suggestion from the Indonesian side that we ensure the deployment of workers from Indonesia is expanded beyond existing sectors, especially the nursing sector. We will discuss this,” said Mohamad Hasan. He added that the Malaysian government would coordinate with the Malaysian Ministry of Health, as the regulation of healthcare workers falls under that ministry’s authority. He assessed that the proposal would benefit both nations, both in enhancing healthcare professional competence and in supporting the development of Malaysia’s healthcare industry. During the session, Mohamad Hasan also welcomed the resumption of the JCBC, which was last held in 2018. He noted that the forum not only strengthens cooperation between the two nations but also serves as a means to resolve various outstanding bilateral issues. “Relationships between neighbouring countries sometimes still have knots that remain tied, and those are the knots we will untie,” said the Malaysian Foreign Minister, affectionately known as Tok Mat. He mentioned that one issue beginning to see light through current dialogues is the land and maritime boundary dispute between Indonesia and Malaysia. “I see that this is at the final stage of approval to be brought to the meeting of our two leaders later,” he said. In addition to border issues, both countries discussed opportunities to increase cooperation in various other sectors, particularly trade and industry. Mohamad stated that discussions with Indonesia, whom he referred to as a friend, demonstrate the commitment of both nations to strengthening economic relations and strategic cooperation across various fields. He also believes the JCBC mechanism can help Indonesia and Malaysia align their shared vision while realising the hopes of the leaders of both countries to enhance bilateral cooperation. The implementation of the 17th Indonesia–Malaysia JCBC is a follow-up to bilateral consultations between Indonesian President Prabowo Subianto and Malaysian Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim held in July 2025.