M'sia-Indonesia journalists group condemns flyers 'selling' Indonesian maids

Ikatan Setiakawan Wartawan Malaysia-Indonesia (ISWAMI) has strongly condemned the 'maid for sale' advertisement which it claimed was trafficking of Indonesian manpower and called on the government to investigate and take stern action in the matter.

ISWAMI Malaysia deputy chairman Datuk Chamil Wariya called for stern action against those who printed and distributed the advertisement by way of flyers, saying the act could be assumed to be human trafficking.

"What more with the 40 per cent discount offered to reflect that those involved are able to easily "sell" people and are possibly ignoring the country's laws and regulations," he said.

He expressed regret that the advertisers, though not using the mainstream media to advertise, have angered many people in Indonesia who regarded the whole thing as an abuse of Indonesian manpower.

"The Malaysian government and the journalists fraternity have worked hard to establish cordial relations with Indonesia, but if such an advertisement is allowed to be distributed without any action, all the good efforts of the various quarters in both countries will come to nought," he said.

Chamil said the distribution of the advertisement could be an attempt by irresponsible people to exploit the current situation where the demand among Malaysians for domestic maid services was high.

"Malaysians should exercise caution over such an advertisement because it can be fraudulent, and the employer will have to bear the legal repercussions if the maid is an illegal immigrant," he said.

The mass media in Indonesia Monday published a story on the flyers, distributed in Jalan Chow Kit, saying it was an attempt to abuse Indonesian manpower.

Detiknews reported that Migrant Care, a non-governmental organisation handling the welfare of Indonesian manpower, was alerted to the advertisement by an Indonesian manpower agent in Malaysia.

The Indonesian media also reported an explanation by the Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia, Datuk Syed Munshe Afdzaruddin Syed Hassan, that the Malaysian government was never at all associated with the advertisement and regretted that irresponsible people had circulated the flyers.

He had reportedly asked the Malaysian authorities, including Kuala Lumpur City Hall, to conduct an immediate investigation and take stern action against the distributor of the flyers.

The Malaysian National News Agency (Bernama) dialled the three mobile telephone numbers on the flyer and two of the calls went to voicemail while the third was answered by a man who claimed to be a driver and did not know how his telephone number landed on the flyer.

The man was angry as he had been harrassed by many people calling him and seeking the domestic maid offer at a discounted price.