JakartaPost-Mar 21, 2022
More Indonesian undocumented workers have fallen victim to a lack of protection from unsafe channels and human trafficking as they risk their lives to get jobs in Malaysia. Indonesia and Malaysia have been unable to conclude a five-year negotiation with a renewed agreement on Indonesian domestic workers. One of the contentious issues is Malaysia’s Maid Online direct hiring platform that allows migrant domestic workers to enter Malaysia without going through appropriate procedures. At least two Indonesian workers are dead and 26 others missing after a wooden boat carrying dozens of migrants sank off the coast of Tanjung Api in Asahan, North Sumatra, over the weekend. The fishing boat was carrying 89 onboard when it departed for neighboring Malaysia through an unguarded route when it was hit by a big wave on Saturday morning. The workers came from all over the archipelago and had paid smugglers between Rp 300,000 (US$20.92) and Rp 4.5 million to get them to Malaysia. Indonesia has insisted that destination countries must have a memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the placement and protection of Indonesian workers with Indonesia based on the law, which placed more emphasis on ensuring the fulfillment of workers’ rights. The Indonesian government also asks that visa processing costs should not be borne by the prospective migrant workers, and Malaysia should not allow visa conversions — from a tourist visa to a work visa — because the process is prone to abuse, such as human trafficking and forced labor practices. Read more at: https://www.thejakartapost.com/paper/2022/03/20/more-undocumented-indonesian-workers-killed-trying-to-reach-malaysia.html.
