Over the past few weeks the local media has been giving extensive coverage to the issue of Indonesian maids as a result of calls by the Indonesian authorities for the protection of their nationals working in the Kingdom. While agreeing with the Indonesian authorities of the need to protect their citizens from any kind of mistreatment or exploitation, I also would like Saudi citizens to be protected from Indonesian workers.
Saudi recruitment offices should stop hiring Indonesian domestic workers in order to save our citizens the troubles caused by the workers. The poor Saudi citizen who hires a worker from Indonesia does this for both religious and humanitarian considerations for most Indonesians are Muslim.
The problem is that soon after arriving in the Kingdom, some workers begin creating trouble. Some families have at least one member who falls victim to black magic; others lose the money they spent on employing a worker who barely completes the three months probation period before running away. Some workers even slip out of the country while their passports are still with their sponsors.
I think it is time to review the policy of recruiting Indonesians and gradually to cut down their numbers as has been done in other Gulf countries. Our policy should be fewer workers from that country and looking to other countries to provide domestic helpers. The ultimate objective should always remain protecting the Saudi citizen.
Any new employment terms and conditions that the other party seeks to impose on us must not only be opposed but should not even be considered for discussion. We need to protect our families and children and to introduce tougher laws and harsher penalties for those involved in immoral activities, sorcery, assaulting employers, running away from employers and stopping work illegally. The solution does not lie in increasing the wages paid to these workers who are mostly untrained to do even the basic housework required of them. Rather, the solution lies in stopping their recruitment altogether.
Recruitment offices which bring workers suffering from poor health — including mental disturbances — and workers with criminal records into the country should be penalized. Again, I say it is time we stop recruiting workers from Indonesia and turn to other countries. The ban on Indonesia should continue until that country agrees to our terms and conditions and not the opposite. We keep repeating empty threats promising to take action each time a problem arises. If no firm action is taken and if we allow others to impose their terms on us, we may soon find ourselves bracing for a similar crisis with another country.
