Many Indonesians Seek Employment in Malaysia, Here is Why

The Minister for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI), Mukhtarudin, has revealed the favourite destinations for Indonesian migrant workers abroad. Mukhtarudin stated that while many Indonesian migrants work in East Asian countries such as Hong Kong, Taiwan, South Korea, and Japan, Malaysia remains the most sought-after destination.

“Among the most favourite countries, Malaysia is almost the closest, because the language is not particularly difficult. Then there are Hong Kong, Taiwan, Korea, Japan, and even some Eastern European countries such as Germany, Slovakia, Hungary, and Bulgaria,” Mukhtarudin said when met by journalists following the launch of the National Safe Migrant Movement on Monday (18/5/2026).

While the Ministry did not provide specific details on the exact number of Indonesian workers currently in Malaysia, recent data from the Labour Attaché of the Indonesian Embassy in Malaysia indicates that the number of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia has reached approximately 543,000.

Mukhtarudin explained that the primary reason for the high number of workers in Malaysia is the linguistic similarity to Indonesia. “Malaysia is the most sought-after by Indonesian migrant workers, perhaps because the language is not too difficult and is still similar to Indonesia,” he continued.

Mukhtarundin further noted that there are approximately 320,000 job vacancies available abroad, all within the formal sector, making these positions quite attractive. “Based on our verified system data, job orders verified by our overseas representatives include approximately 320,000 vacancies, all within the formal sector. These are all formal sector roles requiring medium to high levels of skill,” he explained.

Consequently, the Ministry emphasised that overseas opportunities for Indonesians are no longer limited to the traditional ‘TKI’ or ‘TKW’ labels. “Our principle is a rebranding; migrant workers are no longer just TKI or TKW as in the past. Instead, they are professional migrant workers operating in the formal sector with good skills,” he asserted.