KUALA LUMPUR, MALAYSIA - Indonesia will demand a minimum monthly salary of RM800 (S$327) for its domestic helpers at a bilateral meeting with Malaysia to be held in Jakarta today, Indonesian media reported yesterday.

According to an article published by Kompas online, the remarks were made by Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Da'i Bachtiar during a breaking of fast with some 400 Indonesian migrant workers at his office here on Thursday.

His maids received RM400 to RM500 per month, but since last March, their wages had been raised to RM600 per month under an extended employment period.

Any Malaysian employer wishing to have their domestic helpers' employment extended for another year or two, will be obliged to pay their domestic helpers at least RM600 a month. "Otherwise we will not extend their work contracts," the one-time Indonesian chief of police said.

But in the meeting in Jakarta, Indonesia will demand a monthly salary of RM800 per month for its domestic helpers. Indonesia and Malaysia will have a bilateral meeting to revise their 2006 MoU on the recruitment and placement of Indonesian informal workers in Malaysia.

Two weeks ago, the Indonesia-Malaysia working group met in Putrajaya and agreed to several deals, including the Malaysian employers agreeing that passports be held by their domestic helpers who also will be entitled to a day off each week, regular wage increases, revision of cost structure, and a task force to monitor the implementation of bilateral agreements and the revised MoU.

When contacted, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam declined to comment on Indonesia's latest minimum salary demand.

--The Star/ANN