Malaysia not required to scrap existing system to recruit foreign workers in Indonesia

KUALA LUMPUR - The Human Resources Ministry has stressed that there is no requirement for the country to abolish the existing system for the recruitment of foreign workers from Indonesia.

Its minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said what was stated in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) was to use the existing system in Indonesia for the recruitment process.

"But it is not a requirement for us to abolish the existing system.

"In a meeting yesterday, we have discussed with Indonesian authorities and agreed to integrate our existing systems with the Home Ministry and the system proposed by Indonesia," he said.

He said this when answering to an additional question by Loke Siew Fook (PH-Seremban) who asked if it was true that in the MoU with Indonesia to recruit its domestic helpers (PDI) was in relation to the abolishment of the Maid Online System (MOS).

Previously, it was reported that Indonesia was implementing a temporary freeze of all its workers to Malaysia following a breach of conditions in the MoU for the recruitment of PDI in Malaysia.

Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono said the continuous usage of MOS by the Malaysian Immigration Department in recruiting Indonesian domestic helpers was a violation of the MoU signed on April 1.

However Saravanan said the postponement of the entry of Indonesians to Malaysia was due to the confusion in the PDI recruitment mechanism.

He said the issue had also been discussed during a joint committee meeting with the Home Minister and the Human Resources Minister on Monday.

"An agreement was reached in the meeting that an immediate discussion will be held by both ministries and the Immigration Department as well as the Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia to resolve this issue," he said.