Ministry of P2MI and Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur Accelerate Migrant Worker Registration
Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Ministry for the Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (P2MI) and the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, have agreed to accelerate the registration of non-procedural workers and strengthen border shelters to bolster migrant worker protection in 2026.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between P2MI Minister Mukhtarudin and Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Dato Moh Iman Hascarya in Jakarta on Wednesday (18 February), according to a written statement from the Ministry of P2MI.
Mukhtarudin said the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is expected to support the planned National Migrant Worker Registration in Malaysia for those not yet recorded in the Computerised System for the Service and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (SISKOPMI).
"The key point is to make it easier for the government to provide protection. We cannot protect them if we do not know where they are and who they are working for," he said.
Regarding the criminal offence of human trafficking, the Ministry of P2MI stated that the Embassy emphasised the importance of extensive outreach in areas of origin so that prospective workers are not tempted by promises of high wages without official procedures.
This outreach will be accompanied by firm action against individuals who send workers abroad illegally.
Both parties also agreed to increase shelter capacity at border transit points and to optimise the role of Labour Attachés and technical staff in Malaysia.
Mukhtarudin said the government would strengthen shelters in West Kalimantan, the Riau Islands, and North Kalimantan through collaboration with local governments.
"The challenge before us is the potential deportation of 50,000 Indonesian nationals in 2026. This is a major task requiring readiness in both budget and facilities from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of P2MI," he said.
The Ministry of P2MI is also encouraging the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to strengthen its role as a market intelligence hub to open opportunities in professional sectors and to accelerate job order verification and visa issuance to under 20 days.
The agreement was reached during a meeting between P2MI Minister Mukhtarudin and Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Dato Moh Iman Hascarya in Jakarta on Wednesday (18 February), according to a written statement from the Ministry of P2MI.
Mukhtarudin said the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur is expected to support the planned National Migrant Worker Registration in Malaysia for those not yet recorded in the Computerised System for the Service and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (SISKOPMI).
"The key point is to make it easier for the government to provide protection. We cannot protect them if we do not know where they are and who they are working for," he said.
Regarding the criminal offence of human trafficking, the Ministry of P2MI stated that the Embassy emphasised the importance of extensive outreach in areas of origin so that prospective workers are not tempted by promises of high wages without official procedures.
This outreach will be accompanied by firm action against individuals who send workers abroad illegally.
Both parties also agreed to increase shelter capacity at border transit points and to optimise the role of Labour Attachés and technical staff in Malaysia.
Mukhtarudin said the government would strengthen shelters in West Kalimantan, the Riau Islands, and North Kalimantan through collaboration with local governments.
"The challenge before us is the potential deportation of 50,000 Indonesian nationals in 2026. This is a major task requiring readiness in both budget and facilities from both the Ministry of Foreign Affairs and the Ministry of P2MI," he said.
The Ministry of P2MI is also encouraging the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur to strengthen its role as a market intelligence hub to open opportunities in professional sectors and to accelerate job order verification and visa issuance to under 20 days.