AN ELECTRONIC system will be used to keep tabs on employers who don’t pay the salaries of their foreign maids on time, Indonesian ambassador Hermono said, according to Free Malaysia Today.

The system, developed by the Human Resources Ministry, will flag employers who fail to do so, and will help solve the problem of delayed or withheld salaries, he told the news portal.

Hermono who only goes by one name recounted cases of Indonesian domestic helpers who worked for 12 years without getting paid.

“With this system, we can now monitor and determine which employer has paid workers’ salaries and which have not,” he was quoted as saying.

Indonesian domestic helpers are to receive RM1,500 a month under the memorandum of understanding (MOU) signed between Malaysia and Indonesia on April 1.

This is an increase from the RM900 to RM1,200 they are currently receiving for a month’s work.

The MoU between the two countries also requires employers to pay maids’ salaries directly to their bank account no later than the seventh day of each month.

Penalties include an additional 5% of the total unpaid salary and provisions that allow the worker to terminate the employment contract and seek compensation if salary is not paid for two consecutive months.

Hermono said the MoU terms are good for both Indonesia and Malaysia, which has been flagged for forced labour allegations by human rights groups and US authorities.

The Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur is also dealing with over 30 cases of alleged abuse and non-payment of salaries of their citizens working in Malaysia as domestic helpers. – May 24, 2022.