Pact signed to protect RI's workers in Malaysia
JAKARTA (JP): Indonesia and Malaysia signed yesterday an agreement on recruitment of Indonesian workers to be employed in plantations in Malaysia.
The memorandum of agreement was signed by president of the state-owned PT Binajasa Abadi Karya (PT Bijak) Suramsihono and Director of the Malaysian employment agency Global Access SDN. BHD., Ahmad Apandi Johan, and was witnessed by Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief and Malaysian Minister for Rural Development Dato Annuar Musa.
Under the agreement, PT Bijak is named coordinator of local manpower supplier companies to recruit and supply Indonesian workers for all plantations in Malaysia, with Global Access its partner in Malaysia.
Latief said that PT Bijak will develop its partnership with Global Access and local manpower supplier companies in supplying Indonesian workers to Malaysia.
"PT Bijak should also pay attention to improving the quality of workers to be sent and ensure legal protection during their stays in Malaysia because this agreement aims at eventually protecting our workers' rights," he said.
Annuar Musa said that through such a cooperation scheme, the Malaysian government wanted to enhance ties with Indonesia.
"We hope that this agreement will enhance cooperation not only between the two governments but also between their peoples and businessmen," he said.
He said Malaysia preferred importing and employing Indonesian workers to those from other countries because of the two countries' close socio-cultural backgrounds.
"The similarities in language, religion and culture are why Malaysia prefers employing Indonesian workers while their quality is relatively good compared to other countries' workers," he said.
He said the appointment of the two companies to supply workers from Indonesia to Malaysia was aimed at fighting labor smuggling to that country.
"We do not need illegal workers and we do not want them to be unfairly treated because they come to Malaysia to make money."
Data at the Ministry of Manpower shows that the number of Indonesian workers in Malaysia has reached 350,000, while more have entered that country illegally in search of employment. They are employed in plantations, construction projects, manufacturing industries and golf courses. Many work as housemaids.
Suramsihono said that PT Bijak would work with several other manpower supplier companies to recruit and send over 3,000 workers to the neighboring country in the near future.
"Malaysia needs over 3,000 Indonesian workers up to next month and around 17,000 in the next two years," he said, adding that PT Bijak itself could not meet this demand.
He said PT Bijak and Global Access would set a monthly minimum wage for Indonesian workers employed in the Malaysian plantation sector.
Before PT Bijak, a number of local companies grouped in the Association of Indonesian Companies Supplying Workers to Malaysia and Singapore (KINAS) have been supplying workers to Malaysia. Besides, many Malaysian employment agencies have come to Indonesia to recruit directly from rural areas in Central and East Java. (rms)