Malaysia no longer top choice for Indonesian workers as immigration crackdown drives them to other countries, says ambassador

KUALA LUMPUR — Stricter immigration regulations, frequent large-scale enforcement operations, and media coverage of arrests of undocumented migrants have led to Malaysia no longer being the top destination for Indonesian workers.

Many Indonesians are now seeking job opportunities in blue-collar sectors in European countries, Japan, Taiwan, and Hong Kong.

According to Berita Harian (BH), Indonesia’s Ambassador to Malaysia, Datuk Hermono, acknowledged that Malaysia has not been the primary destination for Indonesian workers over the past three years, with nearly none returning after extended stays in Indonesia.

He revealed that, before the Covid-19 pandemic, 1.13 million documented Indonesian workers were in Malaysia, while an estimated 1.5 million were undocumented, or classified as Pati.

“Before Covid-19, the number of registered Indonesian workers was 1.13 million, while the undocumented population was estimated at around 1.5 million, bringing the total to over 2.5 million.

“However, due to the pandemic and movement restrictions, many returned to Indonesia, and the latest figures show that only around 585,000 registered workers remain — a sharp decline compared to previous years,” he told BH.

As a result, Hermono is confident that the number of undocumented Indonesians in Malaysia has also dropped significantly.

“Based on my estimates, the number of Indonesians in Malaysia — whether documented or undocumented — now stands at approximately 1.5 million, or even lower.