"It is true and (the policy) comes into effect today," he said in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, on Wednesday.
He emphasized that the policy will remain in place until Malaysia commits to stop recruiting domestic workers through the Maid Online System (SMO).
However, he said, the departure of PMIs who have already been confirmed to leave for Malaysia can continue to be processed.
Earlier, there was a report on social media advertisements that sought to recruit domestic workers from Indonesia via freelance recruitment agencies.
On April 1, 2022, Manpower Minister Ida Fauziyah had signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) with Malaysian Minister of Human Resources, M. Saravanan, on the placement and protection of PMIs working in the domestic sector in Malaysia.
Fauziyah emphasized that under the MoU, it was agreed that the One Channel System (OCS) will be the sole legal channel for PMI placement in Malaysia's domestic sector.
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Since the system integrates Indonesia's and Malaysia's systems, placements will no longer be conducted in person or directly, but will need to go through the agencies registered in the system.
The MoU also states that Indonesian migrant workers will only work in one house with a maximum of six family members. Job descriptions per position were also outlined so that Indonesian workers do not do double work.
The PMIs will be also included in Malaysia's employment insurance for foreign workers, and the health insurance premium will be borne by the employer.
The Indonesian representative in Malaysia is authorized to set the minimum wage for PMIs, which is RM1,500 or around Rp5.1 million, with the minimum income of prospective employers pegged at RM7 thousand or around Rp23 million.
Other important points outlined in the agreement refer to the right to annual leave, the right to communicate, and the prohibition on withholding a maid's passport.
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Translator: Virna P, Kenzu T
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
Copyright © ANTARA 2022
