Temporary permits for 9,500 maids

Temporary permits for 9,500 maids
By IZATUN SHARI
newsdesk@thestar.com.my

PETALING JAYA: Indonesia has claimed that more than 9,500 temporary work permits have been issued to its nationals employed here as domestic workers in Malaysia despite a moratorium imposed by the republic since 2009.

An Indonesian Embassy official said, as such, the issuance of such work permits by the Immigration Department was not proper.

He said the embassy’s labour attache had received information that 9,560 temporary work permits had been issued to Indonesians to work as domestic maids.

“We wonder why this is happening as we have stopped sending maids to Malaysia since the moratorium was enforced,” he said when contacted by The Star yesterday.

He said prior to the moratorium, the embassy had data of Indonesian maids coming to Malaysia, adding that there was no information on temporary permits being issued now.

Indonesia froze the dispatch of its domestic workers to Malaysia in June 2009, following reports of alleged abuse by employers.

Immigration director-general Datuk Alias Ahmad said the department could issue temporary work permits to foreign workers who entered with a social visit pass.

“This is provided that there is proper documentation and agreement between the employer and the worker concerned,’’ he said, adding that approvals were given on a case-by-case basis.

Meanwhile, the embassy official also sought clarification on Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr S. Subramaniam’s statement that local employers were not keen to grant a weekly day off for Indonesian maids and for them to hold their passports.

“We are surprised by this because the two terms had been agreed upon in a letter of intent signed between both countries during the Indonesian president’s visit to Malaysia on May 18 last year,’’ he added.

The official said the Indonesian government was hopeful that the working committee on the recruitment and placement of Indonesian domestic workers would resume negotiations on the “stumbling blocks”, which included the cost structure and minimum wage issue, to enable the moratorium to be lifted.

About 35,000 families were desperately seeking domestic workers.

Dr Subramaniam said issues relating to Indonesian domestic workers were still being discussed with Indonesian authorities.