PUTRAJAYA: Malaysia and Indonesia have agreed to create only one channel for the Malaysian recruitment of domestic maids from Indonesia, said Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak.
He said this was necessary to safeguard the interests of the Indonesian maids as well as to enable them to undergo adequate training and be accorded the proper protection when working in Malaysia.
“We realise that only just over 4,000 maids entered Malaysia through the official channel, while the remaining 105,000 had come through unofficial channels.
“As such, we agreed that the relevant ministers hold talks on the creation of just one channel,” he told a joint news conference attended also by visiting Indonesian President Joko Widodo in conjunction with the latter’s three-day state visit to Malaysia beginning on Thursday.
Najib said the two countries realised that the official channel agreed to in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the Recruitment and Placement of Indonesian Maids signed in Bali had not been completely adhered to.
Meanwhile, Joko, popularly known as Jokowi, also expressed the need for one channel for the Malaysian recruitment of Indonesian maids.
“Only one channel will be used for better joint protection (of the maids),” he said.
The issue of domestic maids was among several matters discussed by Najib and Jokowi at their four-eyed meeting and a bilateral delegation meeting.
A memorandum of understanding (MoU) signed in Bali in 2011 saw Indonesia agreeing to the withdrawal of a moratorium on the sending of domestic maids to Malaysia.
Earlier, Najib and his wife, Datin Seri Rosmah Mansor, hosted an official luncheon for Joko and his wife, Iriana.
The luncheon, held at the prime minister’s official residence, Seri Perdana, here, was also attended by Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin; Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman; Home Minister Datuk Seri Dr Ahmad Zahid Hamidi, who is the minister-in-attendance, and several other cabinet ministers.
The Indonesian delegation included Foreign Affairs Minister Retno Marsudi; Coordinating Minister for Economic Affairs Sofyan Djalil; Minister of Trade Rachmat Gobel and Minister of Manpower M. Hanif Dhakiri.
Several children from the Permata Seri Tari centre performed dances during the luncheon while evergreen songs, including ‘Kasih’ popularised by Yuni Shara, were sung.
Joko, who took office as the Indonesian president on Oct 20 last year, is on a three-day maiden state visit to Malaysia at the invitation of the Yang di-Pertuan Agong, Tuanku Abdul Halim Mu’adzam Shah.
He leaves for Brunei Darussalam today. — Bernama