By: Trubus Rahardiansyah

Cak Anas, whose full name is Anas Hasyim, is a former surf instructor from Bali who moved to Japan for love. He married a Japanese woman he met in Bali. However, since settling in the Land of the Rising Sun in 2011, he has discovered a new calling: becoming a bridge and source of strength for Indonesian Migrant Workers (PMI), many of whom arrive without adequate preparation and end up lost in a complex and demanding work system.

The interest of Indonesians in working abroad continues to grow, reflecting both the desire to seek broader opportunities and to strengthen the global competitiveness of Indonesia’s workforce. According to data from KP2MI, as of December 2024 there were 25,273 PMI placement services, an 11.18% increase compared to the same period the previous year. This rise indicates growing labor mobility among Indonesians seeking to contribute economically while expanding their global insight and skills.

Yet behind this enthusiasm lies a crucial question: How well-prepared are they before departing? Field observations show that many prospective migrant workers begin their migration journey without basic skills, understanding of their destination country’s work culture, or even legal placement channels. The lack of accessible information, uneven quality and accountability of placement institutions, and limited financial literacy and foreign language ability make many workers vulnerable to fraud, exploitation, or failure to adapt to a competitive and demanding work environment.

These are exactly the problems Cak Anas often encounters. As an active liaison for the Indonesian community in Japan, he regularly visits PMIs across Ibaraki Prefecture, building communication networks, sharing vital information, and offering moral support. Through his social volunteer work, he has directly witnessed various issues, many of which could have been prevented early on.

Recurring Lack of Basic Preparedness

According to Cak Anas, the recurring root problem is the lack of basic preparedness and talent quality. Many prospective PMIs lack adequate language skills and fall prey to illegal job training centers (LPKs). Some of these institutions charge high fees but provide only superficial language lessons—without equipping workers with knowledge about work systems, organizational culture, or professional ethics in the destination country.

Worse still, many are lured by false promises of quick departures and high salaries from fake LPKs. “It would be much better if prospective workers could receive proper training before leaving. It’s a pity when people travel so far from Indonesia to another country, only to face complicated problems once they arrive,” explained Cak Anas.

He believes ideal preparation includes at least five months of intensive training, covering language skills, labor system knowledge, and cultural and mental readiness. This education, he added, is not just about technical expertise but also a form of basic protection—ensuring workers are conscious, resilient, and self-reliant in facing challenges abroad.

From his experience, about 60% of overstay cases he has encountered are caused by fraud from fake training institutions, while 40% occur when workers flee companies due to contract violations. A lack of understanding of their rights and obligations as official workers leaves many PMIs trapped in illegal situations, endangering their legal and social standing abroad.

Mental Readiness and Financial Literacy: Keys to PMI Success

Cak Anas’ views align with those of Bambang Sulisno, a former PMI in South Korea who is now a successful entrepreneur in the food industry, running PT Prasodjo Mukti Kurnia with dozens of employees. Bambang once faced immense challenges, from high recruitment costs and fraud risks to adapting to vastly different work cultures.

“Back then, the training lasted only three days, and it was purely formal. There was no real teaching on language, mentality, or work practices. I had to learn everything on-site, facing bullying, salary discrepancies, and even taking legal action to fight injustice,” recalled Bambang.

He emphasized that mindset and mental endurance matter just as much as language or technical skills. “Language can be learned, but mental strength and life goals must be clear from the start,” he said firmly.

Bambang also stressed the importance of financial literacy as part of pre-departure preparation. Many PMIs return home with little to no savings because they lack knowledge of managing income. He believes the government should provide continuous educational channels, not just one-off seminars.

“Materials like financial management, labor law, and work culture should be available in easily accessible formats, such as learning videos that can be rewatched anytime,” he suggested.

Preparing, Not Just Sending

Both Cak Anas and Bambang agree that PMI protection should not end at deployment. The state must establish a comprehensive training ecosystem, from ensuring the quality of training institutions to developing relevant curricula and providing post-return assistance.

Working abroad, they emphasized, is not just about earning money, it’s about returning home with new skills, healthy finances, and stronger resilience. With proper preparation, the dreams carried at departure won’t turn into pain but into inspiring success stories.

If these long-standing challenges for prospective migrant workers remain unaddressed, Indonesia risks repeating the same cycle: leaving unprepared and returning without meaningful outcomes. What’s needed is an ecosystem that can prepare them from the very beginning.

This is precisely what the Coordinating Ministry for Community Empowerment (Kemenko PM) seeks to address through its Perintis Berdaya initiative, particularly under its Global Empowerment (Berdaya Global) pillar. The program not only focuses on enhancing work skills but also on building the foundation for Indonesian migrant workers to compete professionally in the international labor market.

PMIs Must Be Ready to Depart and Ready to Return Empowered

Through this approach, prospective PMIs receive competency-based training, international work certification, financial literacy education, and insight into destination countries’ work cultures and labor laws. Beyond that, mental resilience and life-purpose development are also key components—ensuring that workers are not only “ready to depart” but also “ready to return” productively and sustainably.

According to information shared through www.perintisberdaya.id and Instagram @perintisberdaya.id, Kemenko PM is currently piloting this initiative through the Global Talent Day program held in Malang Regency on August 8–9, 2025. The forum brings together industry players, training institutions (BLK/LPK), and successful former PMIs as mentors, with one clear goal: to build a more structured, collaborative, and globally relevant preparation model for migrant workers.

May this initiative become a strategic and sustainable effort to improve the welfare of Indonesian migrant workers and protect them from potential risks in the future. (*)