Hamzah, Saravanan took ‘different positions’ on maids MoU, claims Indonesian envoy

“That is why we got confused. Which one is your position? We want a unified position from Malaysia”

 

(FMT) – Indonesian ambassador Hermono claims home minister Hamzah Zainudin and human resources minister M Saravanan took “different positions” about the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the intake of maids to Malaysia.

He told FMT he had received information that the two ministers made contradictory statements on Malaysia’s position about the MoU to Indonesian manpower minister Ida Fauziyah.

However, he would not disclose what the contradictions were.

“I cannot reveal publicly what the two ministers said to our manpower minister. But I can say they (took) different positions. I can’t say anything without (establishing the) facts.”

FMT has contacted Hamzah and Saravanan for their comments.

Hermono also said that while he was aware that Hamzah had met with Indonesian home affairs minister Tito Karnavia to talk about the MoU, the matter was unrelated to the Indonesian minister’s portfolio.

“Of course, he (Hamzah) met with our home minister, but our home minister has nothing to do with the issue of the MoU.

“He also met the manpower minister, and from the information that I got from the ministry in Jakarta, what Hamzah said was different from what Saravanan said.

“That is why we got confused. Which one is your position? We want a unified position from Malaysia,” he said.

Hermono was commenting on a statement by Hamzah in which he brushed off criticisms by the ambassador that the immigration department had not been providing full cooperation in talks to finalise the MoU.

Hamzah had said Hermono should check with his home affairs minister if he did not know what was going on.

Stating he had discussed the issue with his counterpart during a working visit to Jakarta last month, Hamzah added that he did not have to brief Hermono on the matter.

Hermono had been quoted in a report as expressing dissatisfaction over the immigration department’s limited involvement in discussions on the MoU and that its representatives had only attended two meetings.

According to the report, he also said the department was represented by non-decision making officials at the meetings.

Hamzah said: “I want to inform (him) that the ones discussing this are his (home affairs) minister and I. If he doesn’t know, he should ask his minister.”