TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - Strict monitoring in the placement of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia is a must to ensure adherence to bilateral memorandums of understanding signed earlier this year, a Presidential Staff Office (KSP RI) official said.

"Monitoring is essential to ensure uncertainty caused by the suspension of (migrant workers') placement can be averted in the future," Presidential Staff Office (KSP RI) Chief Expert Staff Fadjar Dwi Wisnuwardhani stated on Sunday.

The Indonesian and Malaysian governments had earlier signed a joint statement on the implementation of the memorandum of understanding on the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers in the domestic sector in Malaysia.

The expert staff stressed the roles of the Foreign Affairs Ministry, the Manpower Ministry, and the Indonesian Migrant Workers Protection Agency (BP2MI) are essential to strictly monitor the MoU implementation.

"The KSP RI also urges the decision to resume the placement to be informed to various domestic authorities and the government and non-government parties, particularly to prospective migrant workers that will depart for Malaysia," Wisnuwardhani noted.

The official highlighted that the MoU has stated the agreement to use the One-Channel System (OCS) as the only recruitment platform for Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia and prohibition of the use of other recruitment systems, as well as commitment to integrate the OCS system and involve various authorities on the system implementation.

The Indonesian and Malaysian governments have also committed to enhancing bilateral cooperation to fight human trafficking, he added.

"The KSP RI urged the Foreign Affairs Ministry to expedite the special MoU on the prevention of human trafficking, particularly (those targeting) Indonesian migrant workers, with the Malaysian government to enhance the protection (of migrant workers)," the chief expert staff said.

He also urged the BP2MI to expedite the process to serve, educate, and disseminate BP2MI Regulation No. 7 of 2022 on the pre-employment process that prospective migrant workers must undergo.

On July 13, the Indonesian government suspended migrant workers' placement in Malaysia due to a violation of the MoU on Indonesian migrant workers' placement and protection signed by Indonesia and Malaysia last April.

Despite the MoU stating that the placement process should be conducted only through the One-Channel System, the Malaysian authority had used the unauthorised Online Maid System (SMO), which constituted a violation of the MoU.

ANTARA

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