No feedback yet from Indonesia on maids: Human Resources Ministry

PUTRAJAYA: The Human Resources Ministry has yet to receive feedback from its Indonesian counterpart on its decision to continue sending its citizens to work as domestic helpers here.
Its minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot (pix) said the ministry will not be able to discuss any potential arrangements with Indonesia's Manpower Ministry until they receive an indication.
"We will wait for a formal notification from them before responding," he told reporters after officiating the ministry's Excellent Services Awards, here, today.
On March 20, the Indonesian authorities had announced that it will continue to allow its citizens to work as domestic helpers overseas.
The move is considered a U-turn on its earlier decision in 2015 as Indonesia's president Joko Widodo reportedly said they would not send women abroad to work as maids.
As the most populous nation in Southeast Asia, Indonesia sends tens of thousands of its maids to work in countries such as Hong Kong, Singapore, Taiwan and Malaysia.
Despite occasional reports of maid abuse and near slave-like living conditions for some, the relatively high pay in these host countries remains a draw for these workers.
While the Indonesian government had announced that to protect its women, it would stop its domestic helpers from working overseas, many of these women had instead resorted to using illegal means to gain employment overseas.
This in turn encouraged human trafficking, prompting the Indonesian government to change its mind.
Confirming that Indonesia will not ban its maids from working overseas, the Indonesian Manpower Ministry however said it is negotiating with host countries for better treatment of these maids.