Jakarta (ANTARA News) - The Indonesian government will soon lift a moratorium on the dispatch of its migrant workers to Malaysia, a manpower official said.

"The moratorium on worker dispatches to Malaysia has been imposed for two years. After all, Indonesia and Malaysia have already concluded a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU)," Moh Jumhur Hidayat, head of the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Workers Overseas (BNP2TKI), said here on Thursday.

Jumhur made the remarks after opening a training on an Overseas Worker Online System (SISKOTKLN) for officials of manpower services throughout Java.

He said that the Malaysian government has changed its attitude regarding Indonesian workers.

Jumhur said the MoU between Indonesia and Malaysia had accommodated many improvements such as passports that were to be held by workers, days off, clear work contracts and better salaries.

The MoU was signed by Indonesian Minister for Manpower Muhaimin Iskandar and Malaysian Minister for Human Resources S Subramaniam in Bandung, West Java, at the end of May.

The moratorium on the sending of Indonesian migrant workers to Malaysia has been imposed since June 2009.

Jumhur expressed hope that the lifting of the moratorium would further improve placement and protection of Indonesian workers in that country.
(Uu.A014/HAJM/F001)

Editor: Priyambodo RH
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