Indonesia Aims To Stop Sending Out Housemaids By 2017

JAKARTA, Jan 5 (Bernama) -- Indonesia is drawing up the Domestic Worker Roadmap 2017 which, among others, sets the target of stopping the sending of housemaids to foreign countries by 2017. This measure is part of efforts to raise the work competency levels of Indonesians who want to work abroad, according to a reported statement from the Manpower and Transmigration Ministry. For a start, the sending of maids to Malaysia would only resume in March, the earliest, and this would be a model project, said the report. Indonesia had lifted the moratorium on sending maids to Malaysia on Dec 1 following the agreement reached between Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on the placement and protection for Indonesian domestic maids and Malaysian employers. Although more than a month has passed since the ban was withdrawn, no Indonesian maid has yet been sent out to Malaysia. "Under the roadmap, we target zero sending out of domestic maids," said Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar at his office, Wednesday, as quoted by the news report. Muhaimin said although the decision was a heavy one, it had to be done. Each year, Indonesia sends about 650,000 workers in the domestic sector to other countries. "If they are forced to work in this sector, the job specification must be clear and recognised by the host countries," Muhaimin said. He said a host country must recognise that Indonesian housemaids had normative rights such as to set working hours, taking leave, earning suitable wages according to the minimum standard or to social guarantees like in the formal sector. "They should be placed in specific positions such as cook, housekeeper or caregiver," he said, adding that domestic maids were in high demand in the job market. Muhaimin also realised that the government would face various challenges in implementing the plan, including providing alternative jobs in Indonesia. At the same time, he admitted that Indonesia could not stop its people from seeking employment in other countries. Muhaimin said in making the roadmap a success, the government was working at enhancing the skills and competency levels of people in the industrial and creative economic sectors. "Unfortunately, Indonesia's manpower is still dominated by primary school leavers, comprising 45 per cent of the 119 million workers," he added. -- BERNAMA Malaysia