Wishnu Krisnamurthi, spokesman for the Indonesian Embassy, said one of the workers, Emi, was convicted of murdering her employer's child.

"Emi has been pardoned but it will take some time to repatriate her to Indonesia," said the spokesman, adding that fellow maid Nesi faced death after being convicted of using black magic to inflict pain on her employer. The full names of the workers have not been disclosed.

Wishnu said the process to release the maids is likely to take time because of the Ramadan and Eid holidays.

Meanwhile, Jakarta is under pressure to hold negotiations with the Kingdom to resume the recruitment of female workers after reports that Indonesia would lose about SR1.3 billion annually because of the moratorium on labor exports that became effective last week.

Wishnu said some progress has been made especially after the visit of a presidential task force to Saudi Arabia late last month. "We are working to set up a mechanism in which both parties will be in a win-win situation," he added.

Asked about the intensity of the ban and its impact, he said that it had been strictly enforced as per the orders of the president. However, the moratorium on the export of Indonesian labor to Saudi Arabia could potentially reduce Indonesia's foreign exchange reserves by SR1.3 billion a year, according to Indonesia's Manpower and Transmigration Ministry.

"The potential losses each year are expected to amount to around 5 percent of the total amount sent by Indonesian migrant workers,” it said.

According to Muhaimin Iskandar, Indonesia's manpower and transmigration minister, the Indonesian government had prepared up to 3 million jobs to offset the impact of the moratorium, which was enforced from Monday from recruitment offices to airports in Indonesia.

Indonesian Police at Soekarno-Hatta International Airport in Jakarta have established a task force to crack down on migrant workers illegally heading overseas, including to the Gulf.

The move to deploy police at immigration points was a step toward helping Jakarta enforce the ban on sending migrant workers to Saudi Arabia, said reports in the Indonesian press, which also claimed 20 officers were monitoring Jakarta airport alone.

It was also reported that the Indonesian government’s ban on sending domestic workers to Saudi Arabia has dampened its labor exporting industry.

About five recruitment companies in Indonesia have reportedly suspended work and laid off around 350 employees after the ban took effect on Monday because their main export destination is Saudi Arabia. It is anticipated more will follow suit.

The Indonesian government implemented the moratorium after Ruyati Binti Satubi, a 54-year-old maid, was executed for killing her male employer in the holy city of Makkah.