Minister Karding made the statement in response to a stereotype among the public that migrant workers are solely employed as domestic help.
Speaking at the Institute of Public Administration (IPDN) on Wednesday, he cited volleyball athlete Megawati Hangestri Pertiwi and football player Pratama Arhan, who have careers abroad, as examples of migrant workers.
This determination is based on Law Number 18 of 2017, which states that Indonesian citizens who work abroad and receive a salary are considered migrant workers.
According to the minister, migrant workers are no longer just domestic helpers, who were previously known as women migrant workers (TKW) or migrant workers (TKI).
"Don't think that migrant workers are only those we used to know as TKI and TKW, that they were only domestic helpers," he was quoted as saying in the ministry's press statement made available to ANTARA here Thursday.
He added that currently, many Indonesian migrant workers are pursuing different professions abroad and working as pilots, doctors, CEOs, and even nuclear experts, among other things.
"In fact, not a few of our migrant workers these days work as pilots, some are CEOs, doctors, and other kinds (of occupation)," he said.
On a separate occasion, he encouraged the younger generation to take advantage of job opportunities, such as the official channels provided by the government, to work abroad and avoid the practice of leaving illegally through unofficial placements.
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Translator: Katriana, Kenzu
Editor: Rahmad Nasution
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