Indonesia threatens to stop sending workers to Malaysia over visa fees, again
Published: 27 March 2015 10:03 AM
Indonesia may stop sending over workers to Malaysia in light of exorbitant visa processing fees. – The Malaysian Insider file pic, March 27, 2015.Indonesia has once again threatened to stop sending its workers to Malaysia, citing the exorbitant visa processing fees charged by a private company appointed by the Malaysian government.
The Star quoted Indonesian Manpower Services Association (Apjati) president Ayub Basalamah as saying the Jakarta-based private firm had imposed an additional RM235, in addition to the existing RM15 fee to process entry visas for Indonesians to work in Malaysia.
Furthermore, the company only accepts payments in cash, he said.
“It is such a huge amount for us – 872,000 rupiah. The workers are struggling to pay. To make things worse, they insist that it be paid in cash. We have already protested against the exorbitant fees, but they are still forcing us to pay,” Ayub told the English daily.
In January this year, Apjati, the largest association of private recruitment agencies in Indonesia whose members send more than 150,000 Indonesians to work in Malaysia each year, threatened to stop sending over workers following the steep increase in visa processing fees.
The hikes mean an additional cost of about RM35.25 million per year, which has to be borne by the workers and not by their Malaysian employers, except in the case of domestic maids.
Urging Putrajaya to step in, Apjati which represents more than 500 employment agency operators, warned that it would lodge a report with the police and stop sending workers to Malaysia.
The first step seems already in place, with Ayub saying he had written to the Indonesian Parliament as well as the republic's human resources and foreign ministries, urging an immediate halt on sending workers to Malaysia.
Malaysian ambassador to Indonesia Datuk Seri Zahrain Mohamed Hashim told The Star that the association had not made any attempts to meet him to discuss their grievances.
“They know I am always open to discussing problems with them. I am surprised as I have not heard any complaints about the company only accepting cash,” he was quoted as saying.
Zahrain previously said the Home Ministry had instructed the embassy to outsource its visa processing services and that there were complaints about the increased fees after it started in December last year. – March 25, 2015.
