Indonesia Bans Maids From Leaving For Malaysia, Kuwait, Jordan

JAKARTA 22 September: Prospective maids from Indonesia are banned from leaving for Malaysia, Kuwait and Jordan until the Indonesian goverment can assure their safety.

Indonesia's Labour and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar announced on Tuesday that the move was taken in response to a case where an Indonesian maid was allegedly abused by her employer in Penang on Sept 13.




He said action had to be taken to protect maids who went overseas to work despite not having valid documents to do so because they risked being abused.

"As such, do not leave for Malaysia until your (maids) safety is assured," he was quoted as saying in Denpasar, Bali by the Kompas.Com.news portal.

Besides Malaysia, the ban also applies to prospective maids heading for Kuwait and Jordan.

Muhaimin had also said that, for the maids' safety, the Indonesian government wanted them to hold their passports and be registered with the nearest Indonesian embassy or consulate office.

He also asked maid agencies in the republic to do their part to ensure maids sent by them to work overseas were adequately protected.

Indonesian maid, Winfaedah, 26 years old from Lampung was reported to have been physically and sexually abused by her employer and his wife for months before dumped by the roadside on September 13 in Nibong Tebal, about 40km away from her employer's home on Penang island.

A local resident helped her to lodge a police report at the Nibong Tebal police station before she was admitted to a nearby hospital for treatment of wounds inflicted on her.

The Indonesian government had expressed appreciation to the Malaysian police for their quick in action in arresting the suspects involved.