He said this after some confusion arose over a statement from the human resources ministry this morning.

The statement listed the terms of the implementation on the Minimum Wages Order 2022, which was officially gazetted on April 27, and included a point on the new law not applying to domestic workers.

In an amended statement issued this afternoon, the minister clarified that Indonesian domestic workers will be paid the minimum wage of RM1,500 as stated in the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Putrajaya and Jakarta on the recruitment and protection of domestic workers, or maids.

He added that this was because the minimum wage was stipulated under the terms of the MoU signed on April 1.

Saravanan added that Indonesia was the only exception, and that the minimum wage policy was not applicable to domestic workers from other countries.

Earlier today, he was reported to have said that RM1,500 minimum wage is not applicable to the domestic workers sector but did not provide any specific reason for the exclusion.

On April 13, Saravanan was reported to have said that Indonesian domestic workers would not be paid anything lower than the minimum wage that is enforced at the time of their employment in Malaysia.

He was referring to the MoU between Putrajaya and Jakarta for the better protection of maids.

According to a copy of the MoU sighted by FMT, employers have to pay domestic workers “not less than RM1,500” directly into the workers’ bank accounts no later than the seventh day of the following month.

Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia, Hermono, had also gone on record to state that Indonesian maids should get RM1,500 under the MoU.