Over the past week, the issue of an Indonesian language learning requirement for foreign workers mandated by a new Presidential Decree (Perpres), which is set to go into effect this Friday, has been much discussed.
The topic was propelled into the spotlight after The New York Times published an article about the Perpres on June 23, providing details about the language learning requirement in the decree and how the foreign business community, local businesses and investors are reacting against it.
Somehow, some in the local press extrapolated The New York Times’ article to imply that foreigners must be proficient in Bahasa Indonesia to work/invest in the country, such as this Viva article, which said, “The New York Times reported that Perpres no. 20/2018 contains a requirement that all foreign workers must be able to speak Indonesian.”
Yesterday, a spokesperson for the State Palace denied the rumors that there is a language proficiency requirement for foreign workers in the Perpres, saying that it was not designed to make life more difficult for existing expats or foreigners who want to work in the country.
“It’s not true that the Perpres makes it mandatory for foreign workers to be proficient in Bahasa Indonesia to be able to work in Indonesia, that’s not true,” said State Palace Spokesperson Johan Budi, as quoted by Viva.
Similarly, the Manpower Ministry clarified that there is no language proficiency requirement, only a requirement for foreigners to formally learn the language — details of which have not yet even been ironed out.
“If a TKA (foreign worker) can speak Indonesian, then the technology transfer process will run more optimally,” Manpower Ministry Spokesperson Sahat Sinurat told The Straits Times.
Sahat also stressed that the language learning requirement is just one aspect of the Perpres, and that, on the whole, it’s designed to simplify the bureaucracy behind foreign workers’ permits and foreign investment processes in the country.
Check out our analysis of the language learning requirement in the Perpres and why expats shouldn’t be worried about it below: