Indonesia to lift ban on Malaysia's hiring of Indonesian maids

Kuala Lumpur - Malaysia hopes to resume hiring of Indonesian maids after an agreement by the visiting Indonesian president Susilo Bamban Yudhoyono was signed Tuesday providing for the observance of better working conditions and protection for Indonesian maids

Indonesia has stopped sending maids to Malaysia last year due to the reported maltreatment by some Malaysian employers including high profile cases of physical assault. The issue of the setting up of minimum wage for the Indonesian maids working in Malaysia is still being worked out according to Malaysian authorities. Prime Minister Najib Razak who signed the agreement with the Indonesian president Tuesday said: "I assume (the freeze) would be lifted soon ... if all the issues have been settled," Najib told a news conference after meeting Yudhoyono in Malaysia's administrative capital, Putrajaya. Yudhoyono did not speak to reporters. Maltreatment of Indonesian maids by Malaysian employers has been a major cause of irritant in the diplomatic relations between Malaysia and Indonesia. Malaysia used to employ more than 230,000 Indonesian maids some of whom were reportedly not paid a legislated minimum wage by Malaysian employers.