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.