TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - The Indonesian Migrant Worker Union (SBMI) urged Indonesia government to hold a bilateral meeting with Saudi Arabia to issue Memorandum of Agreement regarding migrant worker protection.

“Both countries need to have a meeting and sign MoA. We cannot let death penalty to happen again,” said SBMI Secretary General Bobby Alwi in Jakarta on Saturday, March 24.

Zaini Misrin, a migrant worker (TKI) from Bangkalan faced a death penalty handed down by Saudi Arabia authority for the alleged murder of his employer. However, Indonesia had never received a mandatory consular notification. From this case, it turns out another 20 migrant workers are on a death row.

Bobby believed the issue cannot be solved only by the signing of a Memorandum of Understanding or MoU, thus more legally binding agreement is needed. "With the MoA, the life of migrant workers will be more secure because it regulates the technical rights and obligations of Indonesian labor abroad," he said.

The MoA, he went on, might strengthen the security guard by the Indonesian government for the workers. "We support the government continuing to negotiate bilaterally to create a better system of administration and protection of migrant workers," Bobby said.

The Speaker of the House of Representatives (DPR) Bambang Soesatyo asked the DPR’s Manpower Commission to encourage the Ministry of Manpower, The Agency for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI), Migrant Care Indonesia, and migrant worker placement agency (PJTKI) to always provide protection and legal assistance for those facing problem with local law.

Bambang Soesatyo also urged the DPR’s Manpower Commission to urge the Ministry of Manpower considering the draft of MoA with the destination countries in order to strengthen the protection of Indonesian migrant workers.

ANTARA