Govt Pushes SBT Scheme to Legalize Indonesian-Malaysian Border Workers

RRI.CO.ID, Jakarta - The Ministry of Coordination for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections is pushing for the establishment of a Special Border Treatment (SBT) scheme to provide legal certainty and protection for Indonesians living in border areas who work in Malaysia. The scheme will be piloted for residents of the Meranti Islands and Karimun regencies through an Indonesia-Malaysia Government-to-Government (G-to-G) cooperation framework.

Acting Assistant Deputy for Immigration Service Strategy, Herdaus, said the SBT is needed to better regulate the movement of border communities who legally enter Malaysia using passports but subsequently work without following proper procedures. He said the government needs to establish a mechanism that allows workers to be registered, monitored, and protected.

“Many of our people entered Malaysia legally using passports, but then work illegally. This is what we want to regulate. The state must be present to bridge workers and employers,” Herdaus said at a follow-up coordination meeting on the SBT in Jakarta, Tuesday, September 8, 2026.

He explained that the SBT is intended to make the movement of border workers, which has largely been informal, more legal, registered, and protected. The government is also discussing legal requirements, employment sectors, worker placement mechanisms, and the G-to-G cooperation framework as part of the scheme's development.

“The government is committed to establishing the Special Border Treatment as an effort to legalize and protect migrant workers from the border areas of the Meranti Islands and Karimun. The state must be present to ensure that people can work legally, safely, and with protection,” he said.

Immigration Technical Staff at the Indonesian Consulate General in Johor Bahru, Wahyu Kusuma Negara said the SBT proposal had been communicated to Malaysian immigration authorities and had received a positive response in principle. However, the policy decision rests with the Malaysian Federal Government, requiring further discussions before the proposal can enter the formal stage.

The Ministry of Coordination for Legal, Human Rights, Immigration and Corrections will continue cross-ministerial coordination to finalize the SBT's terms and conditions before further discussions with the Malaysian Government. A follow-up meeting is scheduled for September 23, 2026, in Batam, involving the Riau and Riau Islands provincial governments as well as relevant ministries and agencies.