KEPALA BATAS: The Human Resources and Home ministries will discuss the freeze on Indonesian workers to Malaysia tomorrow.
Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M. Saravanan said today the discussions between the two ministries was to find a solution prudently before any decision is adopted.
He emphasised that Malaysia did not have any problems with Indonesia.
The move comes in the wake of instructions from Prime Minister Datuk Seri Ismail Sabri Yaakob to resolve the matter.
Ismail Sabri was reported to have said that he did not want the issue to be prolonged and wanted an immediate solution so as not to strain relations with Indonesia.
"According to the instructions and views from the Prime Minister, I will meet the Home Minister (Datuk Seri Hamzah Zainudin) to find a solution," said Saravanan when asked to comment on the latest developments on the Indonesian worker freeze.
Earlier, he had launched the Penang State Level Karnival Kerjaya Jamin Kerja Keluarga Malaysia 2022 at the Industrial Training Institute (ILP), here.
Also present was Housing and Local Government Minister and Kepala Batas Member of Parliament Datuk Seri Reezal Merican Naina Merican.
On July 13, Indonesia announced it had temporarily stopped sending its citizens to work in Malaysia, citing a breach in the worker recruitment deal signed between the two countries on April 1, 2022.
Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono said the country imposed the freeze after Malaysia's immigration authorities continued using the Maid Online System (MOS) for recruiting domestic workers instead of the One Channel System (OCS), as agreed under the memorandum of understanding between both countries on the placement and protection of Indonesian maids.
Due to the risk of forced labour, Indonesia opposed the use of MOS, which allowed Indonesian workers to enter the country using a tourist visa before applying for a work permit.