The Government has proposed to set RM8,000 as the cost to bring in Indonesian domestic workers, said Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin.

Muhyiddin, who chaired the Cabinet committee meeting on the foreign workers and illegal immigrants, said this was being done in hopes that the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) in 2011 signed between the two countries can be revived.

The previous cost to bring in foreign domestic workers was at RM4,511 and the new increased cost is considers the 200 hour training, documentation costs, food and lodging before being sent over to the employer, transport, health check-ups and payments to agents at both countries.

“We should speed up the bringing in domestic workers systematically and at a reasonable cost,” said Muhyiddin. "We hope this can be normalised within the next few weeks," he added.

He said that the amount was decided upon after considering the agreed to costs being paid by countries such as Singapore, Hong Kong and Middle East was higher than the previous amount Malaysia paid.

“If we want to bring in workers from Indonesia, we need to do this, otherwise we cannot get the workers we want. If we don’t increase the costs, Indonesia will never agree to allow us to bring in maids,” he said.

Meanwhile, Muhyiddin said that the JP Visas, through which domestic workers are using to be brought in by their employers, will no longer be used.

“I was informed that there are those charging up to RM10,000 for domestic workers,” he said, adding that he hoped that employers will use the proper channels to obtain maids.

“They should follow the law and go through the companies that have been given license by the government. Must go through the proper channels, or they will face other risks and will not have the required protection in the event a maid runs away,” he said.

Muhyiddin said that this cost structure must be brought into the discussion between the two governments to receive an agreement.

However, he stressed that the Protocols of the 2011 MoU must be adhered to. These include health and the payments to agencies, the compulsory off day, the replacement of maids who have absconded, the holding of passports and the fixed rate of salary.