Indonesia Strengthens Migrant Worker Protection in Malaysia

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - Indonesia’s efforts to transform the protection and placement of its migrant workers took center stage on Wednesday, February 18, 2026, as Minister of Migrant Worker Protection Mukhtarudin met with Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Dato Moh Iman Hascarya, at the ministry’s office in South Jakarta.

The meeting underscored a pivotal moment in aligning strategies between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur, particularly as Indonesia upgrades its institutional framework from an agency to a full ministry, a move that Minister Mukhtarudin described as a reflection of President Prabowo Subianto’s commitment to safeguarding migrant workers.

“This is a major transformation to ensure two priorities: strengthening protection from start to finish and enhancing the skills of our workers so they can move into middle- and high-skill categories,” Minister Mukhtarudin said, as quoted on the Ministry's official website.

Malaysia remains a top destination for Indonesian workers due to language familiarity, but challenges persist in low-skill sectors such as plantations. Between January 2023 and December 2025, 56,000 workers were repatriated following deportations, and the government anticipates another 50,000 deportations in 2026.

To address this, the ministry plans to expand shelters in border regions like West Kalimantan, Riau Islands, and North Kalimantan in collaboration with local administrations.

A groundbreaking initiative discussed was the planned national registration of Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia who are not yet recorded in the official SISKOPMI system.

Minister Mukhtarudin urged the embassy to support both online and offline data collection. “We cannot protect them if we don’t know where they are or who they work for,” he said.

Beyond protection, the ministry is encouraging the embassy to act as a market intelligence hub, opening pathways for professional placements and streamlining bureaucracy.

The goal is to cut job order verification and visa issuance to under 20 days. The Prabowo-Gibran administration is also rolling out its “Quick Win” program to prepare 500,000 workers in 2026 through vocational training and certified language courses.

Ambassador Iman outlined new strategies to raise standards and accelerate agreements, including amending the long-delayed labor placement MoU with Malaysia. To break bureaucratic deadlock, the embassy has proposed three appendices tailored to Sabah, Sarawak, and Peninsular Malaysia.

One significant breakthrough from recent border cooperation talks was Malaysia’s recognition of Indonesian nurses as professional workers, no longer classified as domestic or informal labor.

The embassy is now fostering collaboration between nursing boards in both countries and exploring partnerships with Malaysia’s KPJ Healthcare Group, which operates 30 hospitals, to establish vocational training centers in Indonesia.

On human trafficking concerns, the embassy highlighted high-risk regions such as NTT, Sulawesi, Sumatra, and West Java, where workers are often recruited through illegal channels. Massive awareness campaigns in these areas, coupled with strict enforcement against illicit recruiters, are being prioritized.

The meeting concluded with a shared commitment to accelerate MoU revisions, strengthen bilateral agreements, expand shelter capacity, and enhance coordination through labor attachés and technical staff in Malaysia.

Both sides emphasized building a protection system that is more integrated, responsive, and attuned to the realities faced by Indonesian workers abroad. ***