PETALING JAYA: The maximum recruitment cost for a new Indonesian domestic worker (PDA) is RM15,000, and applications can only be done via Sistem Maid Online (SMO) and Sipermit owned by the Indonesian Embassy, says the Human Resources Ministry.
It said anyone who wants to employ an Indonesian PDA must go through Agensi Pekerjaan Swasta (APS) and the Indonesian Embassy.
This is due to the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between the Malaysian and Indonesian governments, it added.
“The process for Indonesian PDAs involves the Peninsular Malaysia Labour Department, the embassy and the Immigration Department.
“In terms of permit renewal with the Immigration Department, no confirmation from the Labour Department is required unless the PDA passport is still valid.
“Employers can continue to renew work permits at the Immigration Department without going through the APS service.
“If the PDA passport has expired, the employer is required to submit a new application by using APS to liaise with the Indonesian Embassy,” the ministry said in a statement yesterday.
It said this requirement was already enclosed in the MOU but the payment rate for renewal was not set.
The issue of renewing Indonesian PDA work permits, the ministry said, will be discussed soon during the joint working group meeting between both countries on the employment and protection of Indonesian domestic workers.
For hiring PDAs from other source countries, the ministry said it can be done through APS or by the employers themselves.
The cost for PDAs from other countries is subject to the APS offer and the consent from the prospective employer’s agreement.
“The Labour Department is also not involved in the permit renewals for other source countries, and employers are to submit renewals to the Immigration Department.
“The payment rate is subject to mutual agreement between the employer and APS (if the employer uses the APS service),” it said.
Any other forms of payment are based on what is stipulated in the contract between APS and the employer, said the ministry.
