Immigration director-general Khairul Dzaimee Daud said the decision was reached during a meeting with Indonesian ambassador Hermono, which was attended by senior officials from the human resources ministry.

“The embassy will take the necessary action after obtaining approval from Jakarta,” he said as a guest on the Bicara Naratif programme entitled Immigration: Digital Transformation, the Basis of Excellence which was broadcast on RTM1 tonight.

He added that the ministry had also written officially to the Indonesian embassy to allow workers from the country for other sectors to be allowed into Malaysia while waiting for the agreement to become official.

Home minister Hamzah Zainudin said yesterday that both governments had begun discussions about the freeze on Indonesian foreign workers.

Hermono had announced Indonesia’s decision to impose a temporary freeze on all workers entering Malaysia from July 13 last week following the Immigration Department’s continued use of SMO in the application of domestic help by employers even though both countries had agreed to use one channel, the OCS, under a memorandum of understanding regarding Indonesian domestic workers signed last April.