Owners of recruitment offices in Eastern Province have expressed doubts that the unified contract for Indonesian housemaids will be in force by April, the new deadline set by the authorities. The postponement of the contract for a second time, they say, is an indication of numerous sticking-points in the agreement signed by the National Recruitment Committee and Indonesian authorities, and recruitment offices foresee new round of negotiations after the Indonesians demanded a review of the new contract's clauses. Recruiters are also upset that they have not been officially approached on the issue and most offices do not have precise information on when the unified contract will be put into effect, meaning “things will stay as they are”. However, the flight reservation crisis that occurred shortly before the last Haj season in Jakarta has ended, and housemaids will arrive in the Kingdom no longer than 45 days after an application for their recruitment is made. The cost of recruitment remains at SR9,000. Some clauses of the contract are also said to conflict with the Indonesian Constitution which covers the protection of Indonesian nationals both abroad and at home.
