The Star Online reported Indonesian Ambassador Herman Prayitno as saying that his government wanted maids to be employed as formal workers instead, with stipulated working hours and one day off per week.

The maids would also no longer stay with their employers.

“We want a formal contract between the domestic helper and the employer. Just like the contracts drawn up for employment in companies,” Herman said, adding that the move by the Indonesian Manpower and Transmigration Ministry was to protect the interests of its citizens who sought employment in foreign countries.

It was also viewed as a crucial step in halting the alleged systemic abuse of its citizens, many of whom were deprived of a minimum wage, leave and fixed working hours.

The Star Online also spoke to Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Jeffrey Foo, who said the Indonesian government should consider enhancing the skills of its workers so they could be employed as specialised caregivers or trained nannies and be eligible for higher wages.

Foo also noted that the number of Indonesian maids in the country had decreased drastically from 240,000 seven years ago to only 50,000 at present.