Minister of P2MI Expands Formal Employment Opportunities for Indonesian Migrant Workers in Malaysia

Jakarta (ANTARA) - Indonesian Minister for the Protection of Migrant Workers (P2MI) Mukhtarudin, on Wednesday, visited Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, and met with the Malaysian Chinese Association (MCA) to push for expanding formal employment opportunities for Indonesian migrant workers (PMI). “Now the points or the content have been agreed by all of us; legally we have completed everything,” said Minister Mukhtarudin regarding cooperation with MCA, according to the P2MI ministry in Jakarta, Thursday 21 May 2026. “All that remains is to find a time together to inaugurate and sign a solid agreement between the ministry on a B2B basis with MCA,” he added. The meeting was a follow-up to MCA delegation’s visit to the KP2MI office at the end of April last year. Minister Mukhtarudin stressed that the draft Memorandum of Understanding for cooperation between the two parties had reached final agreement and is expected to be formalised soon. In his statement, Mukhtarudin said that the capacity of Indonesian migrant workers has shifted from low-skilled jobs to medium- and high-skilled sectors. “Today, Indonesia is preparing skilled workers. We are no longer focused on lower skill, but are moving towards creating medium- and high-skilled workers,” he said. He noted that KP2MI has now deployed many skilled migrant workers, including in the shipyards of South Korea and in the engineering sector in China. Regarding placements in Malaysia, the P2MI ministry highlighted the heavy procedural challenges, as many Indonesian migrant workers work there non-procedurally. In the period from 1 January to 17 May 2026, the P2MI ministry recorded facilitating the repatriation of 5,112 problematic migrant workers who mostly worked non-procedurally or without official documents in Malaysia. “Therefore, we hope MCA can help support, urge companies and strategic partners in Malaysia to only recruit migrant workers through official mechanisms, and not employ non-procedural workers to strengthen the protection of migrant workers in Malaysia,” he said. Therefore, Mukhtarudin urged a governance overhaul of placement, and hoped MCA would prioritise employment opportunities for skilled migrant workers, especially healthcare workers in MCA-owned hospitals, as well as other formal sectors through the association’s corporate networks. The meeting between the P2MI Minister and MCA is expected to be followed promptly by the formation of a Joint Working Group (JWG) or Task Force to develop a long-term talent development roadmap and strengthen the migrant worker protection system in Malaysia. Responding to optimism about the cooperation plan, MCA President Datuk Seri Wee Ka Siong expressed appreciation for the Indonesian delegation’s visit. He emphasised that the relations between Indonesia and Malaysia have long been close and harmonious. “We warmly welcome the delegation from the Ministry of P2MI to Malaysia. The Indonesia–Malaysia relationship is very close. It is a great honour because Mr. Mukhtarudin is the first minister from the new Indonesian ministry to visit us at MCA,” he said. MCA said it is very open to building close cooperation with KP2MI Indonesia, especially in building a holistic and mutually beneficial labour placement ecosystem. “I am very optimistic that today’s meeting will record a new chapter in the history of the two countries. Let us continue to strengthen this fraternal relationship to become even closer for shared prosperity,” Ka Siong said.