JAKARTA: Indonesian Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah held a meeting with Malaysian Human Resources Minister Sim Chee Keong on Sunday to discuss bilateral manpower cooperation and issues related to Indonesian migrant workers, Antara news agency reported.
In her ministry's statement received in Jakarta, Fauziyah expressed hope that Sim, a newly-appointed minister in Malaysia, would bring improvements to manpower-related policies in his country, which, in turn, is expected to lead to improvements in the welfare and protection of Indonesian migrant workers.
"I believe that with Minister Sim Chee Keong's support, the cooperation in manpower established by the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia will produce more concrete results," she remarked during the meeting that took place in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia.
During the meeting held on the sidelines of Fauziyah's Malaysian visit, the two ministers touched upon actual issues related to the protection and placement of Indonesian migrant workers.
Furthermore, Fauziyah and Sim have also agreed to renew the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the protection and placement of Indonesian workers in the formal sector inked two decades ago.
The two ministers shared the view that it is necessary to review the points outlined in the MoU to adjust them to the current condition and developments.
"We are very grateful for having the opportunity to meet and exchange information on the bilateral cooperation between Indonesia and Malaysia in the placement and protection of Indonesian migrant workers," she stated.
Earlier on Saturday (April 27), Fauziyah participated in the launch of Bolehpayz, a digital payment application that is expected to protect Indonesian migrants working in Malaysia from late payment of wages and excessive salary reductions.
"This app is expected to serve as another solution to financial transactions," she remarked in Malaysia.
–Bernama