Law and Human Rights Minister Patrialis Akbar said here on Thursday it was Saudi Arabia`s swift response to Indonesia`s decision to impose a moratorium on dispatch of migrant workers to the Middle Eastern kingdom as of August 1.
Manpower Minister Muhaimin Iskandar also welcomed the Saudi government`s decision, saying it was in line with the Indonesian government`s moratorium on workers dispatch to Saudi Arabia.
He said he was optimistic negotiations on the signing of a memorandum of understanding on protection of Indonesian migrant workers with the Saudi government would run well although the Saudi government had already expressed its objections to requirements forwarded by Indonesia that only employers with a record of good conduct may employ Indonesian migrant workers. Indonesia had also asked for an agreement on migrant workers minimum wages.
"They object to our conditions but we will not agree unless our they are met," he said.
Indonesia has declared a moratorium on dispatch of workers to Saudi Arabia following the execution of one of its female migrant workers in the Middle Eastern country recently without Indonesian authorities being given prior notice.
Indonesia would no longer send workers, especially domestic helpers, to Saudi Arabia until an agreement was reached on their protection.
Patrialis Akbar meanwhile denied that another Indonesian migrant worker was facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia.
He said he had asked for confirmation about it to the Saudi ambassador here and the answer was negative.
There was no migrant worker named Sumartini binti Manaungi Galisung who had been rumored to be facing execution on July 3, 2011.
"I have checked with the Director General and nothing like that will happen. So the execution issue must not be blown up because to my knowledge the rumor is not true," he said.
He said two days ago he also met with the Saudi ambassador in Indonesia and had received a commitment from the Saudi government that it would always coordinate and communicate with the Indonesian government in case Indonesians get legal problems in that country.
"We have asked for a good coordination in the future and he accepted it," he said.
Regarding the task force that would deal with Indonesian migrant workers facing the death penalty in Saudi Arabia, Patrialis said that it was still under discussion.
He said he could not as yet tell about the number of its members because discussion were still ongoing. "It is still being processed. We are just going to hold a meeting at the office of the coordinating minister for political, security and legal affairs now," he said.(*)
(H-YH/HAJM)
Editor: Ruslan Burhani
Copyright © ANTARA 2011
