Indonesia's Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono told Reuters the freeze was imposed after Malaysia's immigration authorities continued using an online recruitment system for domestic workers that had been linked to allegations of trafficking and forced labour. The system's continued operation violated the terms of an agreement signed between Malaysia and Indonesia in April, aimed at improving the protection of domestic workers employed in Malaysian households, said Hermono, who goes by one name. Malaysia's Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri M Saravanan confirmed receiving a letter from Indonesian authorities informing him of the freeze. Malaysia relies on millions of foreign workers, who mainly come from Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nepal, to fill factory and plantation jobs shunned by locals. Read also:MoHR, Home Affairs Ministry to discuss Indonesia’s domestic worker ban
