Only 137 Of 170 Agencies Ready To Send Maids To M'sia

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya JAKARTA, Jan 25 (Bernama) -- Only 137 out of 170 companies tasked with the posting of Indonesian workers abroad are ready to send maids to Malaysia from March, Indonesian manpower and transmigration minister Muhaimin Iskandar said. They comprise 59 from East Java, 12 from Central Java and 66 from Jakarta and West Java. He said the companies and prospective maids are now undergoing various stages of preparations. "There are 15 stages to be completed before they can be sent to Malaysia. The whole process takes three months. "I reminded them to adhere to these procedures so that the sending process can proceed smoothly," he said during a meeting with Indonesia's People's Representative Council commission. He added that the Indonesian government regarded the sending of maids to Malaysia as a pioneer project and would become a model for the sending of domestic helpers to other countries. He also reminded the agencies that the Malaysian immigration authority would only issue visa to the maids who have been issued with work competency certificate. -- BERNAMA