On the other hand, the Indonesian government has also proposed an exclusive bilateral agreement to be endorsed by the Kingdom that will put in place several stringent measures to safeguard the interests of domestic workers deployed here.
“The move comes amid reports of the growing abuse of domestic workers in several countries including the Kingdom, where about 327 convicted Indonesians and 1,250 detainees on minor charges are languishing in different jails,” said Ambassador Gatot Abdullah Mansyur, the newly appointed Indonesian ambassador, here on Monday. Mansyur, who is awaiting an audience with Custodian of the Two Holy Mosques King Abdullah to present his credentials, said that one of his priorities during his tenure as ambassador will be to “change the Saudi perception about Indonesia from merely a labor-supplying country to a vibrant nation, which has a lot to offer to the Kingdom in different sectors.” He added that another priority would be to further consolidate bilateral ties, personally and institutionally, particularly “in the fields of economy, trade, IT, the information sector, education and manpower.”
On the manpower front, the diplomat said: “The embassy is in the process of establishing its extension centers outside Riyadh and Jeddah with an aim to provide protection to its workers. “In the future, the mission in cooperation with Saudi government agencies is planning to set up special counters at King Abdul Aziz International Airport in Jeddah and King Khaled International Airport in Riyadh to assist, observe and monitor incoming and outgoing Indonesian domestic helpers. This practice has already been implemented at the Malaysian airports.”
He added that the Indonesian mission is also currently exploring the possibility of paying domestic helps through banks. He pointed out that about 700 cases related to labor disputes and immigration problems would be settled shortly. He, however, added that about 150 Indonesian workers are currently taking shelter in the embassy’s safe house and that the mission is working to expedite their cases.
Moreover, the embassy has also launched a new system of citizen service that calls for providing immediate support to Indonesian workers in distress, said the Indonesian envoy. The workers in distress, who can now contact the mission on a 24-hour hotline service, will also be provided with temporary shelter, health care and other basic needs, he added. In certain cases, the workers will get legal assistance, while the number of the visits of mobile consular teams will be increased to render help to workers living in far-flung areas of the Kingdom.
There are currently a million Indonesians including about 750,000 maids in Saudi Arabia. This number is based on the data from the Indonesian immigration offices. According to the data, about 2,000 Indonesian workers depart for several destinations, especially to Saudi Arabia and Malaysia, which are the first and second most preferred countries respectively in terms of workers’ deployment. About 1,500 Indonesian workers from all over the world return back to their country on a daily basis.