INDONESIAN-MALAYSIAN POLICE COOPERATION HELPS SOLVE MAID ABUSE CASES

KUALA LUMPUR, May 19 (Bernama) -- Several cases involving Indonesian maids
were solved through the close cooperation between Indonesian and Malaysian
police, said Indonesia's Manpower and Transmigration Minister, Muhaimin
Iskandar.

He said through this cooperation, Malaysian employers who committed offences
such as physically abusing their maids and not paying their salary had been
charged in court.

Asked about the freeze on sending maids to Malaysia, he said the Indonesian
government would need one to two months to resolve the issue.

Muhaimin was speaking to reporters after launching "Rumah Kita" (Our House),
a shelter home for Indonesian female workers in Jalan Delima, here, Wednesday.

Also present were Indonesian deputy ambassador to Malaysia Tatang Razak,
PT Bank CIMB Niaga Tbk Indonesia president Mohd Shukri Hussin and its
chief executive officer Arwin Rasyid.


On Tuesday, Malaysia and Indonesia signed a Letter of Intent on the sending
of Indonesian maids to Malaysia during the annual consultation between the two
countries' leaders led by Malaysian Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak
and Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.

The Letter of Intent requires Malaysian employers to give one day off in a
week to their Indonesian workers and their passports be kept by the workers
themselves unless agreed upon by both sides that the passports be kept by the
employers.

A Memorandum of Understanding is expected to follow in two months' time to
resume the sending of Indonesian maids to Malaysia which has been halted since
June last year.

Tatang Razak said the conditions in the Letter of Intent must be fulfilled
and not just remain on paper, and hoped it could solve the long-standing
problems involving Indonesian maids.

Meanwhile, on "Rumah Kita", Mohd Shukri said CIMB's contribution in
providing the shelter and bearing the costs of its running was part of its
corporate social responsibility.



The shelter provides temporary accommodation and food for Indonesian female
migrant workers facing problems such as being cheated by employment agencies or
abused by their employers.

It was the result of collaboration between CIMB Niaga and the Indonesian
embassy in Kuala Lumpur, which is responsible for the day-to-day running of the
shelter and security of its occupants.

-- BERNAMA