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Comment by arp242 | Hacker News Reader

400SGD is about 4.3 million Indonesian Rupiah, 600SGD is 6.5 million, which is more than people from the poorer parts of Indonesia can earn (costs of living vary wildly on region; my girlfriend earns "only" 8 million as a vet in Bali which is one of the better earning parts, which is about €460), so ... I guess in a way it's still a "good deal" for the migrants. Not defending it, just explaining why it happens.

Conversely, if a white person gets employed in Indonesia they get paid western salaries even though they do the same work as Indonesians who still get paid Indonesian salaries for the exact same job. Of course, as an Indonesian working as a vet abroad is damn near impossible. The deck really is stacked against you if you happen to be from a country like Indonesia.

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But they also have to live from those funds while in the country where they work, so even if food & accomodation are covered it's not as if you can just apply these home country cost of living and claim it's a good deal. These migrant workers live incredibly frugal to be able to send money back home and are basically excluded from life in their host country.

It's exploitation, even if all sides have some benefits.

I think you're underestimating how low salaries in Indonesia can be; 2.5 or 3 million is not uncommon. I see people literally going through trash. I see people working all day. Compared to that, SG life seems comparatively good. Even if you're able to send back just half then with 600SGD (the salary in the story) then you're still sending back a full month's wage for your family to spend, and it's quite likely you'll be able to send back more if you want.

I think some here are reasoning too much from their western perspective, and this isn't the kind of thing you really tend to see if you just visit for a week. Is it exploitation? Sure, I never said it's not. Everyone should deserve a reasonable minimum living standard, and it's sad I see so many people who don't. Yet at the same time, a lot of Indonesians still see as a "good deal" for them, exploitive or not, as it's just a better life than staying in Indonesia. This doesn't make it right, but it does explain it. There's a reason this women went back to Singapore after her negative experience.

In many ways, this is just as much of a failing of Indonesia's government who fail to solve basic problems as they're too busy siphoning money to their own accounts or getting lost in petty religious/ethnic arguments.

About 20 years ago I looked at a secondment to the neighbouring country on full ride expat terms.

One the things that slightly disturbed me was oh we will sort out accommodation and servants, as my Grandmother was in service in the UK when she was young.

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