Wasti Atmodjo, Denpasar – Indonesian migrant workers overseas sent Rp 100 trillion in remittances to their families in their hometowns in 2009, data shows.

The head of the National Agency for Placement and Protection of Indonesian Migrant Workers (BNP2TKI), Moh. Jumhur Hidayat, said Bank Indonesia recorded money transfers of Rp 82 trillion in 2009.

"This amount excludes cash the workers brought during holidays," Hidayat said on the sidelines of an Indonesia-Malaysia migrant worker meeting in Kuta on Wednesday.

The agency's data showed that 4.3 million overseas Indonesians worked in the manufacturing, healthcare and hospitality sectors throughout Asia. They also work in households and agriculture.

The agency estimated that 1.3 million illegal Indonesia migrant workers also worked in these countries.

Hidayat said Indonesian migrant workers received salaries ranging from Rp 5 million to Rp 25 million per month.

In early 2010, Indonesia will send 300,000 workers to a number of countries including 200,000 to Malaysia.

Representatives from the two countries and 57 large-scale companies attended the third meeting between Indonesia and Malaysia on migrant workers.

"Every company here needs at least 500 skilled Indonesian workers. We have to tap this golden opportunity to send skilled people," Hidayat added.

Indonesian Deputy Ambassador to Malaysia Tatang B. Razak said there were 1.1 million Indonesian workers in Malaysia. Around 800,000 of them are employed in the formal sector.

"Malaysia enforces a policy of one foreign worker for every local one. In reality, Malaysia has limited manpower," Razak said.

However, he said, Indonesia must improve the quality and skill of its migrant workers to compete in the global employment market.

Malaysia employs 2 million migrant workers, mostly Indonesian. The rest come mostly from Nepal, India and Vietnam.