SINGAPORE: Maid agencies in Singapore will now have
to apply online for employment contracts for Indonesian foreign
domestic workers with the country's embassy.
The change takes effect on
Wednesday.
The new online system will help the embassy compile
data and track the domestic workers from the time they leave
Indonesia for Singapore.
The Indonesian embassy held a briefing for employment agencies on
Wednesday to explain the changes.
In the past, the embassy said it does not have full information of
all its domestic workers in Singapore.
This is because the data was just shared between employment
agencies in Indonesia and Singapore.
Now, both Indonesia and Singapore employment agencies must key in
the necessary data into the online system.
The embassy said having such information will help it safeguard the
welfare of its citizens.
Sukmo Yuwono, counsellor, Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, said:
"Based on all that data, I'm very confident it will give protection
in the beginning when the Indonesian domestic helper has problems
in Singapore.
"Because if I have a call from the police, for example, if I don't
have any data, I have to find out by myself. I need to search
through Indonesia, search all the agencies... but if they are
already keyed in to our system, I will just find out from the
system."
Employment agencies said the online process may be more
tedious.
This is because even after the online process, agencies have to
print out the Employment Contract and submit it to the embassy for
endorsement. Agencies then need to send the Employment Contract to
their counterparts in Indonesia.
This new system is also expected to put a stop to the practice of
some employers who hire maids directly from Indonesia.
K Jayaprema, president, Association of Employment Agencies, said:
"So we are looking at more business for the local employment
agencies because it looks like only the accredited agencies with
the Indonesian embassy will be able to download the employment
contract.
"So definitely employers have to go to a local agency to help them
with this contract. And it's not going to just stop with new girls
coming in, I think it's also for renewal, also for the transfer of
girls."
The Indonesian government said it wants to stop sending domestic
workers abroad as of 2017. It wants to provide comprehensive
training so that workers are ready to enter more competitive
industries. Stricter requirements may also be applied by
2017.
"But it's something we have to wait and see how effective this is
going to be because definitely, they see anybody working overseas
as a better source of income. So unless they are able to earn
equally good salaries, I don't think the ban is going to work,"
said K Jayaprema, president, Association of Employment
Agencies.
The Indonesian government had previously imposed a moratorium on
sending migrant workers to Saudi Arabia due to the implementation
of the death penalty on a number of Indonesian workers there.
- CNA/cc