Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak said Indonesia’s move to suspend sending its domestic helpers to Malaysia was only a "temporary measure" and that Jakarta would lift the ban once "their confidence level is up".

najib razak acccim 170409 pc Speaking at his alma mater in St John's Institution in Kuala Lumpur today, Najib said the importation of Indonesian foreign workers benefits both the sending and host countries.

“It is to their interest as well to allow the maids to work in Malaysia. What we have to do now is to ensure that whenever there are abuses, they are dealt with expeditiously," he told journalists.

Najib urged Malaysian employers to have a "caring attitude towards the welfare of their maids".

On how the government can convince Jakarta to lift the ban which was imposed on Thursday , Najib said: "We need to send a very clear signal that we are serious in looking after their interests and welfare.

"I think once the confidence level is increased, they will resume sending their maids here."

The prime minister also stressed that serious measures should be taken to ensure that action is taken should there be reports of domestic helpers being abused.

"If we find any cases of abuse, actions need to be taken swiftly and seriously in accordance to the law," he said.

Horrific torture of domestic helpers

Malaysia has no laws governing conditions for domestic workers but the government has promised to draft legislation to protect them from sexual harassment, non-payment of wages and poor conditions.

The country is home to some 1.2 million documented Indonesian workers, as well as about 800,000 Indonesians working there illegally.

Indonesian labour minister Erman Suparno said on Thursday his country would stop sending domestic helpers to Malaysia at least until a mid-July bilateral meeting in Kuala Lumpur to discuss a new migrant worker agreement.

abused indonesian maid nirmala bonat 210504 Cases of abuse of maids at the hands of Malaysian bosses are a frequent source of outrage in Indonesia, contributing to often prickly relations between the two countries.

A 43-year-old Malaysian woman was charged early this month with causing grievous bodily harm to a 33-year-old Indonesian domestic helper by allegedly beating her with a cane and dousing her with boiling water.

A Malaysian former flight attendant was also sentenced in November to 18 years in jail for using an iron and scalding water to inflict horrific wounds on her maid.

Najib is unperturbed by Indonesia’s negative perception of Malaysia in the wake of reports of ill-treatment of foreign workers, the territorial dispute over Ambalat and the alleged torture of Indonesian teen model Manohara Odelia Pinot by her Kelantan royal husband.

According to him, these issues were made worse by Indonesia’s crop of “new media” which target their missiles at Malaysia, but he stressed that this will not have any impact on the relationship between the two countries.

“I don’t have any problem with it (the negative perception) as President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono would always call me up whenever he has any problem,” he said, stressing that both countries would strive to keep good ties.

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