Indonesia plantation workers barred from departing for Malaysia over visasJAKARTA: Indonesia barred a group of its plantation workers from travelling to Malaysia because recruiters did not follow proper procedures and most of the workers did not have the right visa, the head of the country's migrant worker protection agency said. Malaysia, the world's second-largest palm oil producer behind Indonesia, had been set to welcome the first major batch of migrant workers since reopening borders in a boost for a sector facing a shortage of more than 100,000 workers. Benny said having proper work documents was important to help protect their rights in Malaysia, where he said a migrant workers' protection law was "still weak". Indonesia and Malaysia in April signed an agreement to improve protection for domestic migrant workers following a meeting between the countries' leaders in Jakarta. Malaysia relies on foreign workers, who mainly come from Indonesia, Bangladesh, and Nepal, to fill factory and plantation jobs shunned by locals.

Source: Bangkok Post June 02, 2022 20:23 UTC