Migrant Worker Abused in Malaysia, DPR Demands Severe Punishment for Perpetrators

A member of Commission I of the Indonesian House of Representatives (DPR) from the National Awakening Party (PKB) faction, Syamsu Rizal, has strongly condemned the abuse of an Indonesian Migrant Worker (PMI) employed as a domestic helper with the initials YY in Malaysia. The case of physical violence has drawn widespread attention after video footage of the incident went viral on various social media platforms. In the video clip circulating since Sunday (14/6/2026), the victim is seen sitting on a sofa while receiving repeated blows from a man in a blue shirt. The victim could only groan in pain without being able to fight back. Responding to the incident, Malaysian police reportedly moved swiftly and have detained four suspected perpetrators directly involved in the assault. Syamsu Rizal, familiarly known as Deng Ical, urged Malaysian law enforcement authorities to impose the heaviest legal sanctions on the perpetrators to create a deterrent effect and serve as a firm example in the protection of foreign workers. “We strongly condemn the violence experienced by our sister YY. This act is inhumane and cannot be tolerated. The perpetrators must receive a commensurate punishment to provide a deterrent effect and become a lesson for anyone who commits violence against migrant workers,” Deng Ical said in a written statement on Tuesday (16/6/2026). Deng Ical urged the Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Indonesian Embassy (KBRI) in Kuala Lumpur to closely oversee all stages of the judicial process in Malaysia to ensure transparency. Beyond high-level diplomatic measures, Deng Ical stressed the importance of strengthening the legal team from the foreign service in constructing evidence for the trial. This is crucial so that the local panel of judges has a strong juridical basis to hand down a maximum sentence. “I ask the Ministry of Foreign Affairs together with Indonesian representatives in Malaysia to carry out maximum diplomacy and lobbying so that the legal process runs transparently and the perpetrators are severely punished. The lawyers assisting the victim must work hard to reveal all the facts in court,” he said. Reflecting on this case, Commission I of the DPR has asked the government to conduct a total evaluation of the mitigation and protection system for Indonesian migrant workers abroad. The government is encouraged to provide a responsive and integrated emergency complaint mechanism, or panic button, for workers facing threats of violence. Deng Ical also proposed that the Ministry of Foreign Affairs immediately establish an advocacy and legal literacy network specifically for domestic workers in placement countries. He assessed that strengthening protection for these informal sector workers must be aligned with the commitment of domestic regulations that Indonesia already possesses. “We already have the Domestic Worker Protection Law (UU PPRT). Therefore, the standard and spirit of protection for Indonesian migrant workers abroad must also adjust to the spirit of the PPRT to guarantee the rights, safety, and justice for all our informal sector workers,” he concluded.