Antara News·Indonesia·Saturday, November 7, 2026 at 08:57 AM UTC

Jakarta steps up protection for Indonesian seafarers in Singapore

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Muhammad Harianto, Yashinta Difa

Jakarta (ANTARA) - The Transportation Ministry is overhauling recruitment governance and safeguarding the welfare of Indonesian seafarers in Singapore, aiming to secure transparent placement processes and protect maritime workers abroad.

The ministry’s Acting Director General of Sea Transportation, Samsuddin, stated that the enhanced oversight is being executed through compliance enforcement on employment requirements, following reports of ship owners and operators in Singapore hiring crew members outside authorized manning agencies.

"There are also challenges regarding the sign-on and sign-off procedures for crew members on passenger ferries operating between Indonesia and Singapore," Samsuddin said in a statement on Saturday.

The initiative was highlighted during a Technical Briefing on Crewing Regulations and Requirements for Working on Board Ships organized by the Transportation Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, in collaboration with state-owned Bank Mandiri’s Singapore branch.

Three core issues that dominated the discussions were unauthorized recruitment outside official manning channels, the absence of formal qualifications for operating Wing-in-Ground (WIG) craft in Indonesia, and cumbersome crew registration routines for passenger ferries rotating between vessels within the same corporate fleet.

In response, the Directorate of Shipping and Seafarers will draft a Ministerial Regulation governing WIG craft operations, alongside new Standard Operating Procedures to streamline ferry crew rotations.

Meanwhile, the embassy's Transportation Attaché will roll out phased outreach programs while enforcing registration restrictions on non-compliant personnel.

Wahyu Ardhianto, the Transportation Attaché at the Indonesian Embassy in Singapore, urged regional ship owners and operators to align their hiring frameworks with Indonesian law.

The attaché's office annually assists approximately 6,000 Indonesian seafarers by issuing Seafarer Books (Buku Pelaut), facilitating transit sign-ons, and resolving labor disputes.

"We want to ensure that Indonesian seafarers have the opportunity to work in the international shipping industry, while consistently meeting competency standards and maritime regulations," Samsuddin said, underscoring the government's dual focus on global competitiveness and worker safety.

Indonesia maintains a workforce of over 1.5 million seafarers, supported by more than 100 maritime education institutions producing around 3,000 graduates annually.

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