The moratorium will be lifted only after the MoU has been inked. There is no deadline for it but it will be done as soon as possible. So far, only three official meetings have been held on it," the minister said.
Jakarta (ANTARA News) - Manpower Minister Muhaimin Iskandar said Indonesia would lift its moratorium on dispatch of workers to Saudi Arabia only after a memorandum of understanding was signed by the two governments and the private parties concerned.

"The moratorium will be lifted only after the MoU has been inked. There is no deadline for it but it will be done as soon as possible. So far, only three official meetings have been held on it," the minister said after accompanying President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono at a meeting with the special envoy of the Saudi King at the presidential palace here on Tuesday.

The minister said at the meeting, President Yudhoyono and the Saudi special envoy also discussed the process towards the signing of the MoU and a number of other problems including the release of Indonesian migrant workers facing the death penalty in that country soon.

"Yes. The process towards the signing of the MoU was discussed. There will be two MoUs , namely between the two states and between private parties," he said.

Muhaimin said President Yudhoyono had conveyed a message through the envoy to the Saudi King to ask for his help for the release of Indonesian migrant workers, especially those facing the death penalty there.

"(The message) has been conveyed. He was an official envoy of the Saudi King. The President`s message was, if possible they (the workers) should be pardoned or their execution postponed. They said the King would try to do it within his power but if it had to do with the family of the victim lobbying must be done together," he said.

Regarding the MoU, Muhaimin said the two countries were both aware of the importance of orderly placement of migrant workers and therefore negotiations would be continued.

"The governments both are aware of its importance as the best way of improving private placement agencies," he said.

The minister said Indonesia continued monitoring and advising all the country`s migrant workers abroad especially those in Saudi Arabi who are facing a death penalty.

He said for those who have received the verdict lobbying would be carried out to seek a pardon from the families of victims.

"In the meeting just now the Saudi King`s envoy expressed the King`s regards and offered cooperation to the President. The President also talked on how the MoU could be done well. He also said in case of citizens facing a death penalty there efforts have to made for the pardon. The Saudi said pardon could be given if family of the victim agrees to give it. In that case Indonesia and Saudi Arabia have to work together for it," he said.

Saudi King Abdullah bin Abdul Aziz Al-Saud`s envoy received by President Yudhoyono on Tuesday was Saudi Manpower Minister Adel bin Muhammad Faqieh, flanked by Saudi Ambassador Abdulrahman Mohammed Amen Alkhayyat and Waleed Hamad Alarinan, the Saudi manpower minister`s advisor.

Adel bin Muhammad Faqieh said he brought two messages from the Saudi King.

"I wish to give regards to the President from the King who has assigned me to submit written and verbal messages," he said.

In the closed door meeting President Yudhoyono was flanked by Muhaimin Iskandar, Minister/State Secretary Sudi Silalahi, Minister of Law and Human Rights Amir Syamsuddin and Chief of the Task Force for Migrant Workers, Maftuh Basyuni.

Before the arrival of the Saudi envoy, President Yudhoyono took the opportunity to talk with Basyuni and Muhaimin about evaluation of the handling of the migrant workers` problems and asked Muhaimin to report it at a cabinet meeting.(*)

Editor: Heru Purwanto
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