Thursday, January 14, 2010

ASEAN Economic Community

AEC - a single market & production base - barang, jasa, investasi, pekerja trampil dan modal bergerak bebas di kawasan.

Wednesday, January 13, 2010

NOTES FROM THE BOOK :
ASEAN’s DIPLOMATIC & SECURITY CULTURE


1. Six norms of the ASEAN Way :

- Sovereign Equality,
- Non-Recourse to the Use of Force,
- Peaceful Setlement of Conflict,
- Non-Interference & Non-Intervention,
- Non-Involment of ASEAN to address unresolved bilateral conflict between members,
- Quite Diplomacy,
- Mutual Respect & Tolerance

2. The notion of Security is closely allied to the consept of “ Trust “ and has been conceived of as process of identity building.

3. The first focuses on the ASEAN Way as an intramural approach to dispute management and confidence building.

4. Various ASEAN Delcarations & Communiques stressing the virtue of :

- Self-Restraint,
- Adoption of the practices of consultation & consensus=musyawarah+mufakat,
- Using third party mediation to settled disputes,
- Agreeing to disagree while shelving the settlement of conflicts.
- Non-Use of Force,
- Pacific Settlement of Disputes,
- Regional Autonomy,
- Collective Self-Reliance,
- Non-Interference,
- Rejection of an ASEAN military pact, in favour of bilateral defense co-operation.

5. ASEAN way is thus seen to imply the avoidance of both institutional over centralization and voluntary relinquishment of sovereign decision making. Basic Character of ASEAN as a cooperative, consultative but not supra-national organization.

6. Principle of non-interference should be :

- Refraining from criticizing the actions of a member gov towards its own people including violation of HAM,
- Criticizing the actions of stes which were deemed to have breached the non-interference principle,
- Denying recognition, sanctuary or ather forms of support to any rebel group seeking to destabilize or overthrow the gov of a neighbouring state,
- Providing political support & material assistance to member states in their campaign against subversive & destabilizing activities.

7. The norm of non-interference is at the core of the principle of restraint. This is lead to a Behavioural Pattern of “ no public challenges, comments or criticism of other regimes’s legitimacy, domestic systems, conduct, policies or style. The principle of respect aims to ensure that ASEAN states do not fail to consult on issues important or of interest to other members. By the principle of responsibility means that ASEAN countries make a conscious effort to consider the interest and sensitivities of their neighbour.

8. We respect each other’s sovereignty and independence and do not interfere in each other’s internal affairs. We treat each other as equals. Decisions are taken only when all are comfortable with them. Close consultation precede these decision. Consensus is the rule. We made every effort to ensure that no party feels hurt in an argument or discussion. This doen’t mean that wo do not have disagreement. We often do, but we do not as a rule, air them in public. We can disagree strongly and yet at the end of the day, play golf together, eat durian or do the karaoke.

9. ASEAN’s diplomatic & security culture comprises six core norms :

- Sovereign equality,
- Non-recourse to the use of force and the peaceful settlement of conflict,
- Non-interference and non-intervention,
- Non-involment of ASEAN to address unresolved bilateral conflict between members,
- Quite diplomacy,
- Mutual respect & tolerance

10. The norm of non-interference is charged as being responsible among other thing for ASEAN countries failure to design an appropriate response to the economic crisis in Thailand in 1997, the smog-haze. The critic is straightforward : “ Either interference becomes legitimate or the association will become increasingly meaningless “.
NOTE FROM THE BOOKS
Reflections on ASEAN
Mahatir Mohamad



1. ASEAN has played such a critical role in turning what was an area of turmoil, antagonism, conflict, sometimes violent conflict, an area with no history of cooperation whatsoever, into a zone of cooperative peace and prosperity.

2. The vital role of ASEAN as a stabilizing influence and as a catalyst in developing the economic resilence of the region. We can not prosper alone in a region that is in turmoil and unstable. To prosper we must have the kind of regional environment that is conducive to economic growth.

3. ASEAN is really a sound place for investment that is ready to become a partner in development. We don’t want ASEAN to be merely a “ storehouse for commodities “. It needs the relocation of industries from Japan or other places to ASEAN to take advantages of lower cost of production and establishment of “ halfway house “ in ASEAN from where value-added products could be exported to third countries.

4. The problems of the poor are likely to spill over in the form of refugees, smuggling, black markets etc. Poor countries are not good trading partners. Helping neigbour to become prosperous is therefore mutually beneficial.

5. The issues of terrorism and its equation with Islam by some has caused much concern in ASEAN. Radicalism and extremists has been rejected not only by the gov but also by the people. They have not been able to make headway.

6. ASEAN is conceived as a simple forum to overcome the communications problem between neighbours who then knew little about each other ( suspicious strangers ). It was not economic cooperation that was the motive behind the formation of ASEAN.

7. Certainly, it was not a strategic concept designed to make the five ASEAN nations an economic and political entity. ASEAN is siply a fairly ad hoc solution to a communications problem between neighbours who were strangers to each other. To know each other better before real cooperation. Learning from each other the formula for success.

8. All the ASEAN countries are now believers in free trade and free enterprise. Foreign capital is welcome by all. Incentives for investments are common. Joint ventures are popular. The centre of gravity of economic growth is shifting slowly from the West to the East and especially ASEAN region.

9. Practice of protectionism by the co-signatories of the Bretton Woods agreement is “ morally wrong or harmful ”. We opposed the linking of non-trade issues such as democracy, human & labour rights and environtment as conditionalities imposed upon NICs. This is another guise for protectionism.

10. Free trade is still the ideal policy for our interdependent world. We are going to need supplies or expertise or capital from outside. But the choice is not between free trade and countertrade. The choice is between countertrade and no trade. In that situation countertrade will not only look good but it will give some results. Countertrade will succeed to damage the protectionist to some degree.

11. The weak and the strong must support each other in good times and as in bad.

12. The economic concepts within ASEAN are progressing very slowly. We are progressing with “ deliberate speed “. We want to build a structure, brick by brick, so that the final edifice will stand the test of time. We don’t want to act in haste just to satisfy our ego.

13. ASEAN is a major supplier of natural resources to the world. We produce and export the bulk of the world’s supply of natural rubber, tin, tropical hardwoods, pepper, copra and palm oil. We are also a major producer and exporter of pretoleum, gas, rice and other food products.

14. In return, we buy manufactured products. We are in a hurry to develop, to industrialise with help of modern technology and to raise the standard of living of the people. ASEAN have always been each other’s competitors. Consequently intra-ASEAN trade has not been significant.

ASEAN Charter

- Give a legal personality,
- Strengthen decision-making process,
- Make ASEAN to be the rule-based & people oriented regional organization.

LIMA 2009







Tuesday, January 12, 2010

Tempoe Doeloe

“ The Royal Banquet in conjunction with Celebration of the Royal Golden Jubilee Sultan Kedah Darul Aman "




Southeast Asia before 1967

Before 1967, Southeast Asia was portrayed as :
- region of revolt,
- balkan of the east,
- a region of dominoes,
- weak socio-political cohesion,
- interstate terrirorial disputes,
- intra-regional ideological polarization,
- intervention by external powers.
All marked features of the geo-political landscape of SEA.

Cooperative Security

ARF is a multilateral discussion group focusing on dialogue & CBM as a first step to cooperative security. Cooperative security is understood as an alternative to balance of power practise. Cooperative security, unlike collective security, lacks the vehicles of economic & military sanctions. Cooperative security relied on promoting standard int'l norms, principles, codes of conducts among regional partners in order to decrease regional tensions. Focusing primarily on re-assurances, it aims to develop a dialogue amongst the participants & to promote confidence building and possibly preventive diplomacy. Cooperative security was proceded by the concept of common security. But cooperative security favours a more slow & gradual approach, stress on the importance of flexibility, consensus building and consultations. Cooperative security are based on the principles of inclusiveness as they aim to promote a habit of dialogue among all regional states.

ARF

ARF is the principal forum for multilateral security dialogue and confidence building in Asia-Pacific. It held its first meeting in July 1994 and has since expanded its membership from 18 to 24. A critical phase in the development of ARF was August 1995 adoption of a Concept Paper which set the term of reference for ARF and also outlined 3 stages for its work namely :
- promotion of confidence building,
- followed by preventive diplomacy,
- leading finally to conflict resolution mechanism.
This gradual, evolutionary approach to managing security was very much in line with the ASEAN experiances & reflected central role of ASEAN intended to play in driving the ARF process forward. Most progress has occured in the area of confidence building. Numerous CBMs such as :
- enhanced contacts including military academics, staff colleges & training,
- defense publication - defense white papers.

ASEAN-China

Perjanjian perdagangan ASEAN-China ditanda-tangani di Vientiane tgl 29 November 2004. China memiliki produk domistik bruto ( GDP ) 1,08 trillion dollar ( th 2000 ) jauh dari Jepang ( 4,14 trillion - 2001 ) dan AS ( 8,35 trillion - 1999 ). Th 1994 China menjadi mintra ARF. Sejak 1996 menjadi mitra-dialoque ASEAN. 2003-TAC. China melunakkan sikapnya ttg LCS - Declaration on the Conduct ( DOC ) of Parties in the SCS, Nov 2002. CAFTA diwujudkan 2010. JAFTA bisa diwujudkan lebih cepat 2012. Dgn India : 2011.

India & Asian Integration

India's increasing role in Asian integration was of particularly significance. India wants to be part of the first stage of the integration. India has pledged to fully contibrute to Asia's economic cooperation & integration ranging from energy & financial cooperation to IT & trade. It has insisted on how Asia's tremendous financial assets ( in term of forex reserves ) could be effectively used to enhance Asia's bargaining power on the world stage with other established entities such as EU & NAFTA or even the emerging groupings in Latin America & Middle-east and Africa. Regionalism is on the rise and East Asia should not be left out of this global trend.

East Asia

Region - so fluid, so open, so cosmopolitan. Communication has been so inexpensive and widely available. Transport : so rapid and so efficient. Cross-border : old & new, legal & illegal are flourist. Roads connect megacities with new suburbs. Integrated production network and manufacturing hubs.

So Exicedly !


KDU College, Academic Convocation, 16 August 2009




Bersama Prof. Emil Salim & Ibu





Prosesi " Merin-gis " Penganten A La Melayu





Penari Saman dari Universiti Utara Malaysia=UUM

Leadership Gathering Camps PPI Se-Malaysia 2009


A Voyage of Songs, Int'l Choral Festival 2009





Rainbow Warriors





BETWEEN RISING POWERS

1. China and India as responsible “ stakeholders “ of the int’l system.
2. Singapore, with its pragmatic foreign policy is one of the active players in the region trying to engage both powers.
3. Singapore has played a major role in promoting preferential trading arrangement (FTA) between ASEAN and both China and India.
4. India’s attempt to be a major player in SEA.
5. SEA could be a theatre of competition between China and India as these two emerging powers expand their spheres of influence.
6. SEA could also be a theatre for India to evolve new partnership with China, thereby moving from the post 1962 policy of containment to co-engagement with China.
7. Singapore’s effort to facilitate China and India’s engagement with SEA, two ancient entities rising simultaneously today.
8. SEA is a part of the theatre that offers India a potential role as a counterweight to China.
9. Singapore emphasized its support for the one-China policy and its opposition to Taiwanese independence.
10. Singapore’s support for an American proposal to send its troops to help patrol the Malacca Straits, shocked the Chinese.
11. Japan, Taiwan and South Korea were forming a de facto arc of containment against China.
12. Beijing’s desire to reduce America’s influence in Asia and advance its own vision of Asian regionalism by excluding US, which Beijing may once again consider its own backyard.
13. With such a large fleet, Zheng He could have embarked on conquest, but he did not do so, instead helping small states to defeat invasion and crush rebellion.
14. Chinese had not conquered or governed any of states outside imperial borders. There was really no Chinese empire outside Chinese lands. It is not China’s past that is worrying.
15. What would ne new and alarming to the region would be a modernized China finding that it has to behave like the modern great powers of the west.
16. Asia’s future will not resemble its past. Instead of sliding into anarchy or organizing itself into pre-Westphalian hierarchy.
17. Asia is increasingly able to manage its own insecurity through shared regional norms, rising economic interdependence and growing institutional linkages.
18. Chinese tendency for peaceful management of its relation with neigbours, because Chinese policy was driven by realpolitik.
19. Ther would be greater competition and rivalry that would produce the instability.
20. No Asian power is trying to balance China. India is balancing China and ASEAN recognizes India’s role as a potential counterweight to any threat from China down the road.
21. Mandate of Heaven made the Emperor the interface between Heaven and Earth. Son of heaven.
22. ASEAN Way has been at the core of efforts to build SEA regional identity in the modern era.
23. Rising India will follow the pattern of rising great power by attempting hegemony in its region.
24. India’s successful intervention in the East Pakistan civil war lead to the dismemberment of Pakistan and the emergence of Bangladesh in 1971.
25. Indira Doctrine : asserted that South Asian states facing domestic political problem should first seek help within the subcontinent. The presence of an extra-regional power in the subcontinent and/or Indian Ocean region would be considered adverse to India’s security interests unless that powers recognized India’s predominance.
26. Gujral Doctrine 1977 : - Good faith and trust among neighbours; - No South Asia country should allow its territory to be used against the interests of another country of the region; - None should interfere in the internal affairs of another; - Respect each other’s territorial integrity and sovereignty; - Settle all their disputes through peaceful bilateral negotiations.
27. US has decided to help India become a major world power in the 21st century. Initiatives such as the Next Steps in Strategic Partnership, the US-India Global Democratic Initiative and New Framework for the US-India Defence Relationship.
EAST ASIA

1. Of late, Southeast Asia has come into prominence as the “ Second Front “ in the global war on terrorism following the terrorist attacks on 11 September 2001 in New York. This is due to the discovery in late 2001 of the Al Qaeda-linked Jemaah Islamiah network that planned to destabilized several regional governments and set up a pan-Islamic caliphate encompassing the Malay archipelago. The deadly Bali bomb attatck on 12 October 2002 has brought the region into focus as a frontline in war on international terrorism. There is today growing international recognition of the strategic importance of Southeast Asia as the Malay Archipelago has the world’s largest population of Muslims. Moreover, a very significant proportion of world trade and oil traverses the region’s vital waterways and are vulnerable to terrorist attack and piracy.

2. The most striking characteristic of the East Asia :
- Preoccupation with sovereignty and security,
- Close ties between business and gov
- Its internal heterogeneity,
- Its distinctiveness from other regions,
- Its diversity in terms of living standards, political system and religious belief.
ASSESMENT TERHADAP IMPLEMENTASI MOU TAHUN 2006 TENTANG
PENEMPATAN TKI INFORMAL/PLRT

I. UMUM.

Pekerjaan sektor informal ini sebagian besar adalah :
- pekerjaan rumah tangga,
- penunggu rumah,
- pengasuh anak-anak atau orang tua,
- dengan gaji rendah,
- beresiko terkena pelecehan karena pengisolasian mereka di dalam rumah-rumah pribadi.
- seluruhnya melibatkan buruh migran kaum perempuan, dan menempatkan perempuan sebagai korban mayoritas.
- Data Bidang Konsuler KJRI Penang rata-rata setiap hari menerima 1 - 2 orang buruh migran perempuan / TKW yang melarikan diri dari majikan dengan berbagai macam permasalahan yang hampir keseluruhannya bekerja sebagai PRT.
- KJRI memiliki Tempat Penampungan / Shelter bagi TKI yang terkena musibah demikian.

Sebelum diterapkannya Moratorium, KJRI Penang telah secara bertahap mengurangi persetujuan job order setelah diinformasikan ke Jakarta. Hal ini dilakukan mengingat banyak terjadinya kasus maltreatment thd TKI/PLRT mulai dari gaji tidak dibayar, perlakuan semena-mena, pemerkosaan dsb.





II. ASSESMENT MOU 2006

Pengamatan dilapangan khususnya di wilayah kerja KJRI Penang menunjukkan bahwa MOU 2006 belum diterapkan secara secara optimal baik oleh pihak Malaysia maupun Indonesia :
1. Perbedaan ketentuan hukum dimana sistem hukum Indonesia tidak membenarkan pengiriman/rekruitmen secara perorangan, namun sebaliknya di Malayasia perekruitan secara perorangan dimungkinkan.
2. Kasus pemalsuan identitas/data TKI : masih sering ditemui pengiriman TKI dibawah umur dan bahkan buta huruf – human trafficking- kasus Medan – Pasal 6 MOU.
3. Kurangnya Pembekalan Pra Penempatan ( Pasal 7 MOU ) menimbulkan ketidakpuasan majikan berujung pada tidak dibayarnya gaji dsb.
4. Pengguna jasa/majikan tidak asuransikan PLRT-nya ( Kewajiban Pengguna Jasa/Appendix A Butir IX ).
5. Penyimpangan Paspor oleh majikan ( Butir XII )
6. Majikan Majikan/pengguna jasa mempekerjakan TKI/PLRT diluar rumah seperti kedai ataupun bekerja lebih dari satu rumah tangga ( Butir XVIII )
7. Gaji dibayar dibawah standart bahkan melakukan potongan-potongan spt biaya levy, tes kesehatan FOMENA dsb ). Perwakilan se-Malaysia telah menetapkan gaji minimum RM 600,-

III. PELECEHAN TKI INFORMAL.

Pelecehan terhadap para TKI sektor informal ini dapat diidentifikasi sebagai berikut :

Pelecehan di agensi Malaysia
- Pembatasan kebebasan untuk bergerak dalam bentuk pengurungan pada tempat yang penuh sesak dan tidak boleh berhubungan dengan orang luar dan tidak diperkenankan menjalankan ibadah shalat lima waktu.
- Pelecehan, baik secara psikis maupun fisik dalam bentuk penghinaan dengan kata-kata, melucuti pakaian dengan alasan khawatir jika calon TKI menyembunyikan jimat, nomor telepon seseorang atau keluarga, perampasan dan pembakaran pakaian-pakaian yang dianggap tidak pantas untuk digunakan saat bekerja di tempat majikan, bahkan pembakaran peralatan shalat seperti mukenah dan sajadah dengan alasan tidak boleh melaksanakan ibadah karena majikannya bukan muslim.
- Eksploitasi dalam bentuk pemaksaan bekerja pada majikan yang berganti-ganti dengan alasan majikan lama tidak cocok namun oknum Agensi Pekerja Malaysia tetap menerima bayaran dari majikan yang mempekerjakan TKI tersebut, dan indoktrinasi untuk tidak melaksanakan ibadah dan memakan apa saja selama bekerja dengan majikan, termasuk yang haram (babi).
- Penempatan di tempat kerja yang tidak sesuai dengan kontrak kerja (pekerja industri menjadi PRT, PRT dipekerjakan ke pabrik, peternakan ke perkebunan dan sebagainya).
- Penganiayaan.
- Pemotongan gaji yang tidak sesuai dengan kontrak kerja.
- Jika TKI yang bersangkutan ternyata hamil selama bekerja, proses persalinan dibiayai namun bayi yang dilahirkan dirampas oleh oknum Agensi Pekerja dan sang ibu dipulangkan ke Indonesia.

Pelecehan di tempat majikan.
- Bekerja tanpa jam kerja (over time).
- Kekerasan verbal dan fisik jika melakukan kesalahan sering kali dihina dengan kata-kata, penganiayaan bahkan pemerkosaan.
- Pembatasan kebebasan untuk bergerak, tidak boleh beribadah dan makan sekali sehari serta dipaksa mengkonsumsi makanan haram.
- Bekerja ganda, selain sebagai PRT juga diharuskan bekerja pada pabrik milik majikan.
- Tempat istirahat yang tidak layak bersama dengan hewan piaraan majikan.
- Tidak memperoleh hari libur.
- Pemotongan gaji jika melakukan kesalahan yang mengakibatkan rusaknya peralatan ruma tangga majikan.
- Penahanan gaji hingga akhir kontrak yang standarnya adalah dua tahun, sehingga : Jika TKI melarikan diri sebelum berakhirnya masa kontrak, tidak akan mendapatkan gaji dari majikan yang bersangkutan ; Jika mendekati waktu berakhirnya kontrak, majikan sengaja melakukan tekanan-tekanan mental, fisik sehingga TKI lari meninggalkan rumah majikan tanpa mendapatkan hak gajinya.

Faktor-faktor Yang Mempengaruhi

- Rendahnya kualitas SDM TKI bersangkutan.
- Kurangnya pembekalan dan pemahaman terhadap hak-hak pekerja sebelum diberangkatkan ke negara tujuan.
- Kurangnya political will dari pihak Pemerintah Malaysia untuk secara serius menangani kasus-kasus eksploitasi pekerja yang termasuk dalam unsur-unsur tindak pidana perdagangan manusia / trafiking. Kondisi ini dilatar belakangi oleh beberapa hal diantaranya adalah :Malaysia adalah negara pengguna TKI, Kasus-kasus eksploitasi TKI ini sebagian besar menempatkan WN Malaysia sebagai pelaku, Situasi politik internal Malaysia yang dapat “memperalat” keberadaan para TKI., Tidak adanya Undang-undang di Malaysia yang mengatur perlindungan buruh migran.
ALL ABOUT TKI


1. Bekerja di luar negeri tidak selalu membuahkan hasil seperti yang diinginkan. Banyak yang berhasil tetapi tidak sedikit yang mengalami nasib kurang beruntung. Masalah TKI jelas berawal dari Indonesia seperti nasih adanya pihak yang sanggup menipu calon pekerja dan mengirim TKI tanpa job order. Selain itu, banyak WNI yang dating bekerja ke Malaysia dengan visa turis. Masalah yang banyak dihadapi adalah tindakan eksploitasi seperti :

- Ketentuan kerja dan gaji yang tidak sesuai dengan kontrak,
- Bahkan ada yang tidak dibayar gaji,
- Penganiayaan oleh majikan,
- Tidak ada kebebasan beribadah,
- Dipaksa mengurus anjing peliharaan,
- Memasak daging babi,
- Seharusnya pekerja muslim ditempatkan di majikan muslim.

2. Masalah TKI di Malaysia meningkat karena adanya kerjasama antar calo di Indonesia dan Malaysia dan sering kali tidak mengikuti ketentuan yang berlaku. Sesuai ketentuan hukum Malaysia, majikan nakal turut dikenakan sanksi. Bagi majikan yang tidak membayar gaji akan diadili di Mahkamah Buruh, sementara majikan yang melakukan kekerasan diadili di Mahkamah Sivil.

3. Pemulangan TKI Bermasalah merupakan salah satu bentuk kepedulian KJRI dan sebagai upaya memperjuangkan hak mereka. Proses pemulangan TKI bermasalah dilakukan bekerjasama dengan Polisi dan Imigrasi Malaysia untuk memperoleh Check Out Memo.

4. Menteri Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri Datuk Tan Chai Ho : Jumlah pekerja asing di Malaysia 1.869.209 orang, 310.661 atau 16,6 pct sebagai PRT sector informal. Dari jumlah 310.661 tersebut 294.115 atau 94,8 pct berasal dari Indonesia. Sebanyak 345 agen pekerja di Malaysia terlibat. Datuk Tan lebih lanjut sarankan untuk mencari alternative pekerja informal dari Thailand, China, Kamboja, India and Uzbekistan.. Menurut Datuk, PRT Indonesia kini lebih suka bekerja di Timur Tengah, Taiwan dan Hong Kong karena pendapatan lebih besar. Di Malaysia PRT hanya dapat RM 450 sd RM 600. Di negara lain mereka mendapatkan lebih dari RM 1000.

5. Menurut Kementerian Hal Ehwal Dalam Negeri, jumlah RELA ( Ikatan Relawan Rakyat ) akan ditambah 50.000 di penghujung tahun 2007. Anggota RELA kini kira-kira mencapai 475.000.

6. Agen Pekerja Malaysia seringkali menipu dan tidak jujur thd pelanggan untuk memperoleh keuntungan. Penipuan soal umur PRT, biodata tidak tepat seperti yang dikehendaki. Ada PRT yang mengalami kejutan budaya.

Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan, Ketua Malaysian Association of Foreign House Maids Agencies ( Papa ) said that the inflow of Indonesian maids has dropped by 45 pct.

7. TKI Informal atau Pembantu Rumah Tangga yang bekerja di wilayah akreditasi Penang dan sekitarnya khususnya yang tidak bermasalah jumlahnya relatif masih besar. Ini terbukti dengan pembaharuan permohonan SPRI di KJRI Penang. Berdasarkan data keseluruhan mulai bulan April 2006 s/d April 2007 dapat diasumsikan bahwa TKI Informal/Pembantu Rumah Tangga yang datang ke KJRI Penang untuk memperbarui paspor pada umumnya telah bekerja di Malaysia selama minimal 2 tahun dan pihak majikan masih ingin mempekerjakan sehingga tempo maksimal yaitu 2 tahun + 1 tahun. Apabila hal tersebut dikategorikan sebagai keberhasilan maka didapati bahwa persentase keberhasilan dan kegagalan (dipulangkan dengan berbagai alasan) adalah 88,11 % berbanding 11,89 %. Mencermati berita di beberapa media Malaysia yang mengatakan bahwa jumlah Pembantu Rumah Tangga asal Indonesia paling banyak lari dari majikan dibandingkan dengan Pembantu Rumah Tangga dari Negara lain perlu dicermati lebih lanjut mengingat bahwa dasar perhitungan besarnya jumlah Pembantu Rumah Tangga yang melarikan diri dari majikan haruslah berdasarkan jumlah keseluruhan Pembantu Rumah dari masing-masing Negara tersebut.TKI informal masih diminati oleh masyarakat/majikan Malaysia ( khususnya di wilayah akreditasi Penang, Kedah dan Perlis) dengan pertimbangan beberapa fakta antara lain :

- Rumpun bahasa yang tidak terlalu berbeda,
- Rumpun budaya dan asal usul sejarah nenek moyang,
- Pada umumnya pembantu rumah tangga asal Indonesia sangat jarang membantah/penurut.

Pernyataan Dirjen Imigrasi Malaysia Datuk Ishak Mohamed yang menyatakan bahwa sistem perekruitan pekerja asal Indonesia masih lemah, perlu ditanggapi secara positif melalui pembenahan sehingga diharapkan di masa mendatang bila Pemerintah Pusat cq Departemen Tenaga Kerja akan mengirimkan Pembantu Rumah Tangga haruslah yang lebih professional, sehingga dapat mengeliminir jumlah TKI yang lari sebagaimana diberitakan dalam surat kabar Malaysia pada akhir-akhir ini.


7. Tgl 23 Mei 2007 di Harian Star Datuk menyatakan “ the reason most maids run away from their employers is due to mistreatment “. Kritik thd pernyataan ini : swallowness of thought and how blinded he is by the exorbitant prices agents are charging for foreign maids and the profits they reaping from desperate families, and the though of a syndicate recyling these maids. All the families expect of them is to keep the house clean, make sure there is food on the table for children during meal times and clean clothes for the children wear, and to play with the children during play time. That are all called mistreatment ? According to Pikaps ( Association of Private Employment Agencies : 99 pct of these maids already have boyfriends even before they come to Malaysia.

8. Import of Indian labourers into Malaysia has been going on for the past 100 years and there are now about 180.000 Indian workers. Many foreign workers mostly of Indian origin, have made police reports alleging ill-treatment by their employers. Some say that they have been treated like slaves, not provided basic facilities, not paid salaries and suffered physical abuse. Some of these workers are unable to work in other places as the employers hold their passport and work permits. YSS ( Yayasan Strategik Sosial ) di KL.

9. The Employment Act 1955 will be strengthened with a provision to prevent sexual harassement against women at workplace. According to Datuk Seri Dr.Fong Chan Onn, the provisions are not that effective since they are merely guidelines for employers. The court should take action.

10. Last year 2006, a total of 1.869.209 work permit were issued for foreign workers. The manufacturing sector has the highest number of totaling 646.412. The manufacturing sector should look towards automation to increase its productivity and take advantage of Soft Loan Scheme for Automation and Modernisation under the Ninth Malaysia Plan. Gov called on employers to create a more condusive working environment, more flexible entry requirement and better remuneration package to attract the local workforce. Malaysia doesn’t have enough skilled locals to meet the demand especially in the fields of research and development and bio-technology.

11. Pem.Malaysia akan wajibkan majikan yg mempekerjakan PRT asing perlu membayar assuransi sebesar antara RM 75 dan RM 50 setahun sewaktu membayar levi di Jabatan Imigresen. Asuransi utk melindungi kematian, kecelakaan kerja dan biaya rumah sakit. This compulsory insurance for maids would be RM 80 to cover situation such as death, accidents and hospotalisation. According to Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad, he want the maids to works in peace, knowing that they will be protected if anything bad happens. Radzi assured tthat any RELA officer caught violating procedure would be punished. Indonesians were not being singled out in operations to detain illegal immigrants.

US in Asia

1. US provide a security umbrella and have become a " stabilizing " force since the cold war era. Due to a number of geopolitical shift, however, US has reduced its strategic focus from security to primarily economic issues.

2. The rise of non-traditional security threats like terrorism, human & arms trafficking has promted some countries in this region to rethink the continuity of US presence.

3. Each Southeast Asian Countries has developed its own concept of what constitutes a threat to their national security. Rejection by Malaysia & Indonesia in particular of the US Regional Maritime Security Initiative in the Strait of Malacca - an initiative to work with Southeast Asian navies to intercept pirates and/or terrorist groups planning attacts on tankers or international ports like Singapore - highlights this different of perception, particularly of threat and sovereignty.

ASEAN Unity

Indonesia maintains that ASEAN needs to reaffirm its united stance-seen as crucial in the current times-while ensuring each country's sovereignty. The situation in the Middle East where a lack of complete unity meant they could not resolve conflict and created the condition that made the Gulf state vulnerable to western interference.

At SEAMEO RECSAM