RI sends foremen to Malaysia

RI sends foremen to Malaysia

JAKARTA (JP): Minister of Manpower Abdul Latief on Monday said farewell to 64 workers, most of whom will be employed as foremen at various construction sites in Malaysia.

Their departure, arranged by the state-owned PT Bina Jasa Tenaga Kerja (Bijak), marks a new departure for Indonesia in its attempt to send more skilled workers abroad.

Without the desired skills, many Indonesians who seek work abroad end up as domestic help, especially women, while most men are hired as construction laborers.

The 64 men were the first "graduates" of the three-month intensive course organized jointly by Latief's office and the Ministry of Public Works.

Fifty will work as foremen at construction sites, 12 as machinery operators and two as mechanics. Each will earn US$1,000 (Rp 2.3 million) a month.

Latief said Bijak will soon dispatch another 166 certified foremen to Malaysia and the Middle East.

Hundreds of graduates from senior technical schools are also being groomed for similar jobs in the future, he added.

Latief said Indonesia is determined to phase out the sending of unskilled workers abroad.

Last year Indonesia sent 450,000 workers abroad, 180,000 of which were skilled workers with incomes ranging from $3,000 to $12,000 a year.

Latief also inaugurated a management training course for executives at 37 private companies which send Indonesian workers abroad.

The course is run by the privately-owned Training Management and Development Indonesia company owned by former central bank governor Rachmat Saleh.

Poor management of the companies in the past has been blamed for the problems that arise in sending Indonesian workers abroad.

There are currently 138 companies licensed to export workers overseas. (rms)