JOHOR BARU: Many Indonesians are finding it difficult to get employment in Malaysia and would rather return home as they are worried about economic uncertainties, especially amid the Middle East conflict.
The Indonesian consul-general in Johor Baru, Sigit Suryantoro Widiyanto (pic), said although the ringgit is strengthening against the US dollar, the lack of job opportunities is one of the main reasons many are opting to leave under Malaysia’s Migrant Repatriation Programme 2.0, which ends today.
He added that records from the Consulate-General – which oversees Indonesian affairs in Johor, Melaka, Negri Sembilan and Pahang – show that 54,684 Indonesians registered for the programme in 2024 and 2025.
“We have yet to get the latest figures from the Malaysian Immigration Department for this year,” he said, adding that Johor tops the list with 29,832 applications over the past two years.
He stressed that there were more applicants in 2024 compared with 2025 in three states, except for Pahang, which showed a higher number in 2025 with 4,187 applications, up from 1,845 applications in 2024.
Sigit said Malaysia has always been a favourite destination for Indonesians to seek employment because of its ample jobs and a high minimum wage policy of RM1,700 (7.4 million rupiah).
“Currently, Jakarta is the region with the highest minimum wage in our country at five million rupiah (RM1,100).
“Furthermore, with some domestic economic issues, many Indonesians still prefer to head to Malaysia for employment.
“We at the consulate always remind our citizens to abide by Malaysian immigration laws, to come and work here legally and to never overstay,” he said in an interview.
Asked whether there was a sudden influx of requests to return home in the last few weeks of the amnesty programme, he said there was none.
“We typically issue a temporary passport within two days, provided that all their documents are in order,” he said.
He said that under the amnesty programme, an illegal immigrant is required to pay only RM520 before departing the country, a big reduction from the previous RM3,100 fine.
He said the consulate always reminds its citizens that those caught working illegally in Malaysia after the amnesty programme face imprisonment.
Immigration director-general Datuk Zakaria Saaban recently announced that the repatriation programme, which started on May 19 last year, has seen 228,961 foreigners sign up so far.
“Of the total, 204,523 have been repatriated and some RM114.5mil in fees has been collected,” Zakaria said.
An Indonesian known as Suharto, 42, said the amnesty programme allowed him to pay lower fines so that he could go home.
“I have been in Malaysia for many years. It is time for me to return to Java to take care of my sickly parents,” he said, adding that the fuel crisis had impacted his employer’s construction business.
Another Indonesian, Elliza, 58, who has worked in Malaysia for nearly 35 years, expressed her concerns that the ongoing Middle East conflict may lead to more difficulties for those employed here.
“The economy in Indonesia is bad, but I just want to go home and be with my children,” she said.
