Disguised as Services, Indonesian Workers Supplier Companies are Being Treated as “Money Printing Machines”. What is Really the Purpose of VIMA to Indonesian Migrant Workers and their Employers ?
Jakarta - The spread on the issue of an institute will soon be operated under the name of VIMA (Visa Malaysia Agency) where it will start from 2nd of January 2023 (tomorrow) to process VDR (Visa Dengan Rujukan) for Indonesian migrant workers.
Currently, Indonesian Labor Supplier Companies (P3MI) apply VDR for their Indonesian migrant workers directly to Malaysian Embassy or through its Consulate offices which spread in many cities in Indonesia, with a cost of only RM 15.00 (fifteen Malaysian Ringgit) or around IDR 50,000.00 (fifty thousand Indonesian Rupiah), through an online appointment system (STO) provided by Malaysian authority;
As per 2nd of January 2023 there will be changes to process VDR for PMI, all must go through VIMA, with a shockingly cost hikes to around IDR 1,115,600.00 (one million one hundred fifteen thousand six hundred Indonesian Rupiah), an increase of almost 23 times from the previous one.
According to Saiful, Chairman of DPP ASPATAKI, VIMA when operating under the Indonesian jurisdiction, is violating the MoU between Indonesia & Malaysia on Placement of Migrant Workers, on point 2, chapter 11, which were signed by Manpower Ministers of both countries, witnessed by Indonesian President and Malaysian Previous Prime Minister on the 1st of April 2022 in Jakarta.
It is clearly mentioned and stated on such MoU “Every cost occurs as the results of implementing laws, regulations by The Malaysian Government will be borne by employers and will be fully paid at The Malaysian jurisdiction or territory”
And according to Saiful, as VIMA is charging in The Indonesian territory, we suspected this activity can also be categorized as breaching criminal conduct by illegally receiving service charges under our Indonesian jurisdiction.
For this reason according to Saiful, it purposely making migrant workers harder to do their process, tainting the integrity of our Indonesian laws and offending our nationalism’s and affecting the good relationship between the people in both nations.
The restart of the placement of PMI to Malaysia began with the MoU on 1st of April 2022. And not long after, Indonesian government through its Ambassador Hermono again declared another moratorium as it suspected its neighboring country, Malaysia, was not honoring part of their agreed MoU. The idea by Ambassador Hermono worked, each government was again trying its best to honor what they have signed and agreed.
“We do not think Prime Minister Dato' Sri Anwar Ibrahim and President Joko Widodo knew anything about VIMA”, said Saiful.
ASPATAKI expects Ambassador Hermono along with related Indonesian government institutions doing such to reject the implementation of VIMA in charging under Indonesian jurisdiction, as it is tainting the content of MoU and slowed down the placement process for PMI. “P3MI should not be treated as money printing machines for the interest of Malaysia”, said Saiful.
ASPATAKI as according to Saiful, together with the rest of public components will reject the implementation of VIMA which brings no benefits to PMI, to Malaysian prospective employers, and to Indonesian government, mentioned Saiful.