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Abused Maid in Malaysia Gets Back Pay, Legal Help
Nurfika Osman | June 12, 2009

Siti Hajar receives a telephone call from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday. (Photo: Antara) Siti Hajar receives a telephone call from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday. (Photo: Antara)
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hanny
11:31am Jun 14, 2009

I just wish who ever run this country.. you should have pride on being Indonesian.. creates jobs here in our country for our people with moderate payments. Do not ever let country as Malaysia treated our people as what they did to Manohara or Siti Hajar. Stands up.. that's what the Gov should do

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Migrant worker Siti Hajar, who claims to have been abused by her Malaysian employer, was joined in Kuala Lumpur by her parents on Friday and was receiving legal assistance, the Foreign Ministry said.

Her story drew media attention this week, culminating in a personal phone call from President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono on Thursday.

“Her family members arrived this morning in Kuala Lumpur and she is now being helped by a lawyer as she will be asked to serve as a witness for the investigation,” ministry spokesman Teuku Faizasyah said on Friday.

The 34-year-old domestic worker from West Java’s Garut district also claimed she had not been paid for 34 months of work.

Siti reportedly began working for Hau Yuang Tyng, also known as Michelle, in 2006 under a contract for 500 Malaysian ringgit ($140) per month. Michelle has been taken into police custody.

Faizasyah said Siti was still recovering. “She will not be returning home immediately as she has to make a full recovery in the hospital and we are giving her the best treatment,” he said.

Separately, Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration spokesman Subhan said an investigation had been launched on Friday afternoon. “She received Rp 40 million [$4,000] today from her insurance and the labor placement agency,” he said on Friday.

Meanwhile, the head of the National Agency for the Placement and Protection of Overseas Labor (BNP2TKI), Mohammad Jumhur Hidayat, said he planned to seek a one-month halt on Indonesian domestic workers being sent to Malaysia.

Jumhur said he would collaborate with the two countries’ ministries to adjust their agreement on migrant workers.

Faizasyah said the moratorium was a good idea but details of such a move would have to be hammered out between the Ministry of Manpower and Transmigration and the BNP2TKI.

“As for the Foreign Ministry, as an institution protecting Indonesian citizens, whatever decisions they make to improve conditions for our citizens overseas, we shall support,” he said.

Faizasyah said his ministry had been encouraging the government to prioritize skilled workers in the formal sector to be placed overseas, because such jobs could be monitored more effectively. “Within the informal sector, there are more difficulties in monitoring [workers] as they work in households,” he said. The informal sector includes domestic positions such as maids and nannies.

Faizasyah said there are an estimated two million Indonesian workers in Malaysia, many without legal documentation.

Subhan said Indonesian and Malaysian ministers were scheduled to meet on July 15.