Kuala Lumpur – Indonesian labour agents expect to dispatch 1,000 maids to Malaysia every month after Jakarta lifts a two-year moratorium later this month.

Recruitment agencies in Indonesia have been training workers over the past two months in anticipation of the lifting of the ban, Association of Indonesian Labour Exporters chairman Yunus Yamani told The Star.

In 2009, Indonesia imposed a freeze on its citizens working as maids in Malaysia following allegations of abuse and non-payment of salary by employers.

A memorandum of understanding between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta on the employment of maids is expected to be signed later this month, ending the freeze.

A joint working task force has been set up to address four main issues – a day's rest every week, handling of maids' passports according to immigration laws, the structure of fees charged by recruiting agents and runaway maids.

Many Indonesian maids prefer to work in Malaysia because of language and cultural similarities, and were waiting for the ban to end, Mr Yunus said in Jakarta.

"Some (workers) went to Saudi Arabia, Hong Kong and Taiwan, but ended up returning to their villages to wait for the ban (on Malaysia to be lifted) or to find work nearer home."

Maid agencies in Malaysia have been struggling to fill the void left by the Indonesian domestic workers since the freeze. They have about 35,000 families on their waiting lists.

About 3,000 maids arrived from Indonesia each month before the freeze. Last year, Saudi Arabia overtook Malaysia as the country with the largest number of Indonesian migrant workers.