Jakarta, Oct 30 (ANTARA) - Advertising leaflets screaming "Indonesian Maids on Sale!!!" in public places in Kuala Lumpur have sparked an outcry in Indonesia and Malaysia since Sunday. Although reports claimed the advertisement was posted by a barber shop rather than a recruiting agency, it was criticized by the governments of Indonesia and Malaysia as being potentially damaging for bilateral relations.
According to the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur, the Malaysian Foreign Ministry also criticized the placement of the advertisement in public places by individuals or an agency, calling it an act that could disturb and disharmonize Indonesia-Malaysia ties. "The Malaysian government observes that the leaflet or flyer offering a discount on hiring an Indonesian housemaid is an illegal and regrettable act," Suryana Sastradiredja, the social, cultural and information section head of the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur, said in a press statement on Monday.
The advertisement issue came to the fore when Migrant Care executive director, Anis Hidayat from Chow Kit, Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, posted about it on her twitter handle @anishidayat on Sunday.
The flyer read: "Indonesian maids now on SALE!!! Fast & Easy Application!! Now your housework and cooking come easy. You can rest and relax, Deposit only RM 3,500! Price RM 7,500 net." The normal placement rate in Malaysia is around 12,000 ringgits ($3,931).
Indonesian Foreign Minister Marty Natalegawa said the Indonesian government strongly criticized the advertisement. "The Indonesian government criticized the content and spirit of the advertisement as contained in the leaflets," the foreign minister said on Monday.
The Ministry of Foreign Affairs has summoned Malaysian Ambassador to Indonesia Dato Syed Munshe Afdzaruddin Bin Syed Hassan to express Indonesia's concern and to ask the Malaysian government to investigate the advertisement issue.
Besides, Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Herman Prayitno also met with Deputy Secretary General of the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, Dato Husni Zai Yaacob to discuss the same matter.
Natalegawa said that criticism against the advertisement came not only from the Indonesian government but also its Malaysian counterpart.
"I conducted talks with Malaysian Foreign Minister (Dato' Sri Anifah Hj. Aman) this morning. We share the same attitude in criticizing the advertisement. The Malaysian government criticized it as soon as the flyer was made public," the foreign minister said.
According to Suryana Sastradiredja, the Malaysian government considered the advertisement `stupid¿. The statement was made by Dato Syed Sultan Idris, director general for Asia Pacific Affairs at the Malaysian Foreign Ministry, when he met with Indonesian Ambassador Herman Prayitno.
Sastradiredja said that the Malaysian Foreign Ministry had also issued a press statement which considered the case as a serious problem and criticized the act of the `irresponsible' individual agency.
He added that the Indonesian government had asked the Malaysian government to take necessary steps and prosecute the agency if it breached the law.
"We hope the advertisement is removed and the agency is acted upon firmly," he said.
The same criticism also came from Malaysian Consul, Khairul Nazran Abd Rahman in Pontianak, West Kalimantan, saying that it was not proper for an agency to publish such an advertisement on human beings.
"I personally think the advertisement is beyond propriety. What were advertised were not goods but human beings," Rahman said in Pontianak on Monday.
He added that he did not have further details about the case and could not comment on it further.
The Malaysia-Indonesia Journalists Solidarity Association (Iswami) also strongly criticized the spread of the "Indonesian Maids on Sale" issue, calling on the government to carry out investigations and take stern action against the culprits.
Iswami deputy chief for Malaysia, Datuk Chamil Wariya said that whoever had spread the leaflets should be issued a firm sanction because the act was categorized as a form of human trafficking.
"By offering a 40 percent discount, the agency makes it appear as if it were very easy to sell people, an act which is against regulations and state law," Wariya said.
The Iswami deputy chairman expressed his disappointment over the advertisement. Even though it has not been published through the media, it had triggered anger amongst many quarters in Indonesia as it humiliated Indonesian workers.
"The Malaysian government, including journalists, who have worked hard so far to build good relations with Indonesia do not want this advertisement's producer to go free without a sanction because, as a consequence, all the work done so far would be rendered useless," he stressed.
There is a feeling that the ad could have been made as an effort to mislead as it has reportedly not been issued by a housemaid recruiting agency but by a barber shop.
Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia, Herman Prayitno has said that the advertisement was virtually an act of fraud.
"Our team traced the advertised location and found out it was a barbershop," the ambassador said on Monday.
The embassy's team found that the advertised location was actually a two-storied building housing "Southern Guy's" barber shop in Southern Park, Klang, Slangor.
Ambassador Prayitno also delivered a note of protest to the Malaysian Foreign Ministry and asked the Malaysian government to take action against the owner of the barber shop who allegedly committed the fraud. ***1***
(T.A014/A/KR-BSR/F001) 30-10-2012 16:18 |
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