KUALA LUMPUR - Antara reported, Indonesia and Malaysia have agreed to form a joint task force to speed up the placement of Indonesian migrant workers while ensuring better oversight and protection in Sarawak on January 27.

Indonesia’s Minister for Migrant Worker Protection Mukhtarudin said the task force will focus on preventing non-procedural departures and tightening supervision.

“We agreed to address the issue of non-procedural migrant workers and to immediately form a special task force to carry out stricter supervision,” Mukhtarudin said in a statement.

Both countries also pledged regulatory reforms to shorten administrative processes and improve legal placement channels for workers.

Mukhtarudin said Indonesia has cut its worker placement and job verification process to 21 days, while Sarawak agreed to issue work visas in 20 days instead of the previous 30.

The collaboration will include database sharing among agencies to match jobs effectively and align Sarawak’s labour needs with Indonesia’s training programs.

Workers completing training will have clearer job certainty, Mukhtarudin added, linking the initiative to President Prabowo Subianto’s target of placing 500,000 Indonesian migrant workers by 2026.

Sarawak Industry Minister Stephen Rundi Utom praised Indonesian workers for their productivity, especially in plantations, and emphasised improving recruitment systems and worker welfare.

“The quality and productivity of Indonesian workers are unmatched. They are highly skilled, and that is why we want to keep improving the recruitment system and their welfare so this cooperation can continue,” Stephen said.

He added that Sarawak’s small population and large territory make collaboration with Indonesia essential to meet labour demand and support economic growth.