KUALA LUMPUR, July 6 (Bernama) — Indonesia will probably retract the decision to stop sending its citizens to work as maids in Malaysia in August if discussions on the matter between the two countries came out positive, Indonesia’s Minister for Labour and Transmigration, Erman Suparno, said Monday.

He said the meeting scheduled for middle of this month here, was aimed at reviewing the memorandum of understanding on maids inked between the two countries in May 2006.

“We are optimistic but it all depends on the outcome of the meeting.

“If everything turns out okay, the situation will be back to normal by August and everybody will be happy,” he told reporters at the Indonesian Embassy here.

Earlier, the Indonesian minister attended a meeting with Human Resources Minister, Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam and Inspector-General of Police Tan Sri Musa Hassan in Putrajaya.

Erman said during the one-hour meeting, they had discussed various ways and means to improve protection of the maids to prevent them from being abused by employers.

He said in order to improve the protection, maid recruitment must be done through legal maid agencies with a clear and transparent working contracts.

He also reiterated that Indonesia would try to tighten the departure process of maids to prevent illegal entry into Malaysia.

Meanwhile, in an interview with Bernama’s Radio 24 today, Erman also called on the Malaysian government to take stern action against employers who abused their maids.

“If the maid has done something wrong, prove it according to legal procedures,” he added.

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— BERNAMA