Saturday, 16 Jul 2022 11:03 AM MYT
JULY 16 — The statement by the Indonesian ambassador, Hermono, where he has alleged that Malaysia has failed to adhere to the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between the two countries involving Indonesian maids should be dealt with transparently by the government.
Indonesia has apparently since issued a temporary freeze order on all its workers entering Malaysia, which has caused consternation amongst employers.
The government should declare to the public as to what the terms of the MoU are, as this is a matter of public interest and impacts Malaysians in many ways.
There should be nothing to hide or be secretive about on such an MOU, and the public deserves to know.
Such a statement by a public official of a neighbouring country, if not rebutted or explained, is an embarrassment to the country.
Employers are necessarily concerned, as they have been exploiting cheap labour and depressing wage levels for decades, through their exploitation of foreign labour. To start with, the foreign labour situation should be assessed holistically.
Indonesia has apparently issued a temporary freeze order on all its workers entering Malaysia, which has caused consternation amongst employers. — AFP pic
What needs to be ascertained is whether there is really a shortage of workers or that employers are not willing to pay market level wages to attract Malaysians to work.
Successive governments have for too long allowed employers to distort market wage positions through the use and abuse of foreign labour. This has impacted Malaysian workers directly, and in particular the B40 and M40 population.
Not to be lost in all of this is the impact on Indonesian workers as well. They seem to bear the brunt of a diplomatic row between the countries. International Labour standards should be complied with where it concerns foreign labour.
It is high time that the Malaysian government look at issues afflicting workers, whether local or foreign, in a humane manner and not pander to the profit maximisation objectives of employers.
* This is the personal opinion of the writer or publication and does not necessarily represent the views of Malay Mail.
