Malaysia needs more skilled workers from RI
Malaysia needs more skilled workers from RI
By Ridwan M. Sijabat
KUALA LUMPUR (JP): Senior Malaysian government officials say
they need more skilled Indonesian workers to help implement their
Vision 2020 blueprint that will help their country become a full-
fledged industrial nation.
While Indonesian Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief reviews
with Malaysian officials their respective positions on the
presence of Indonesian workers in this country, Kuala Lumpur says
it will continue to crackdown on illegal Indonesian workers.
However, the officials added, Malaysia would welcome more
skilled Indonesians wanting to work through legitimate channels.
Latief on Tuesday met separately with Deputy Minister of Home
Affairs Datuk Megat Junet Megat Ayub, Chief of the Malaysian
Economic Planning Unit Tun Daim Zainuddin and Minister of Labor
Lim Ah Lek.
The Indonesian minister arrived on Monday for a three-day
visit to iron out problems regarding Indonesian workers.
Hundreds of thousands of workers, mostly unskilled, are
working illegally and posing serious problems to the Malaysian
government.
Latief also came here in the wake of press reports suggesting
that as many as 1,500 Indonesian workers are currently in
Malaysian jails for various offenses, mostly for breaking
immigration rules.
"We will continue the operation to curb the inflow of foreign
workers and to crack down on workers employed illegally in the
country," Juned said after the meeting with Latief.
Juned expressed deep concern that most Indonesians who come to
Malaysian illegally take a great risk.
"It is very sorrowful that many Indonesian workers have been
killed in sea mishaps on their way to enter Malaysia illegally,"
he said.
"Most of them are old women, children and they are generally
illiterate, uneducated and unskilled," he said, underlining that
their condition exposes themselves to exploitation by employers.
The Indonesian embassy here said some 600,000 Indonesians are
registered as workers in Malaysia but it is widely believed that
still 600,000 others are working illegally in the country.
Juned said most Malaysian employers prefer hiring skilled
Indonesian workers to employing workers from other countries.
Complaints
He echoed the complaints of Malaysian employers about the red
tape involved in Indonesia to hire Indonesian workers through
legitimate channels. "Many employers and users here have
frequently complained that they have to wait a long time after
ordering workers from Indonesia because of the complicated
bureaucratic procedures."
Lim Ah Lek said after his meeting with Latief that the illegal
status of most Indonesian workers makes them easy prey.
"No foreign workers will be exploited if they follow legal
procedures when entering the country," he said.
On the other hand, foreign workers who are legally employed
enjoy the protection granted by Malaysian labor laws, he said.
Lim said Malaysia needs around 2.5 million foreign workers to
help implement its Vision 2020 plan.
During their meeting with Latief, the two ministers discussed
ways of securing the welfare of Indonesian workers in Malaysia.
Lim said the Malaysian government is working on legislation
regarding a social security program for domestic and foreign
workers.
"The social security legislation will be sent in the near
future to the Attorney General's Office and the Parliament for
ratification and is expected to be enacted this year," he said.