Repatriation obligations are emerging as the key stumbling block in discussions on a highly anticipated Memorandum of Understanding on migrant workers between Cambodia and Malaysia.

Two days of sitdown discussion between government delegations from Malaysia and Cambodia, which has a moratorium on sending domestic workers to the peninsula country, ended fruitlessly yesterday.

“We have 14 paragraphs in the MoU. [Malaysia] wants to take out some points on the sending and repatriation of workers, but this is what we are most worried about,” San Arun, Ministry of Women’s Affairs secretary of state, told the Post yesterday.

“If we do not have this main point agreed to, we cannot work to combat trafficking and save victims.” Syuhaida Binti Abul Wabhab Zen, deputy undersecretary of the Malaysia Ministry of Home Affairs, said that Malaysia was committed to completing the MoU despite obstacles in the negotiations.

“For two days we discussed with each other face-to-face the drafting of the MoU, and then my delegation will continue to examine the proposed draft before officially signing,” she said.

To contact the reporters on this story: Sen David at [email protected]