Mien supports sending maids to Saudis
Mien supports sending maids to Saudis
JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Women's Roles Mien Sugandhi said yesterday that she supports the export of maids to Saudi Arabia provided that the workers are covered by adequate legal protection.
Mien criticized local mass media for "exploiting the negative side" of life that Indonesian maids face in Saudi Arabia and for overlooking the positive.
The minister made the remarks to journalists after discussing the issue with Saudi Arabia's Ambassador Abdullah A. Alim at her office.
"What's important is that their qualifications and legal protection be better," she said.
Debates on the export of maids to Saudi Arabia resurfaced when the House of Representatives demanded that the government stop the business due to reports of physical and sexual abuse.
Some House members, who went to Saudi Arabia on a fact-finding mission, reported that over 1,500 maids have been raped by their employers, causing pregnancies in many cases.
According to government statistics, there are an estimated 400,000 Indonesians working in the oil-rich kingdom, most of which are without legal protection. The number is the second largest after that of Egyptians.
Mien said she visited the Indonesian consulate in Jedah during her recent minor haj pilgrim and spoke to about 60 Indonesian workers.
From the discussion it was concluded that some Indonesian job seekers are stranded or treated poorly in Saudi Arabia partly because they lack the necessary skills, she said.
Many also get in trouble for lying about their ages, she said. Employers need maids that are aged between 25 and 30 years and, she added, mature enough to handle sophisticated household equipment.
"But (employment) brokers have falsified the ages and educational levels of some job seekers. Trouble begins when the maids don't know what to do in their workplace," he said.
Mien said the problem need "serious attention" because it has to do with Indonesia's good name abroad and the dignity of women.
Ambassador Salim acknowledged that such problems exist but not as serious as reported in the press. He declined to elaborate. (pan)