CAMBODIAN MAIDS TO WORK HERE, AGAIN
First group of workers expected to arrive after Hari Raya, says minister
HASHINI KAVISHTRI KANNAN PUTRAJAYA hashini@nst.com.my
MAIDS from Cambodia are expected to come to our shores after a six-year hiatus. A joint committee has finalised agreements on recruitment, training and employment conditions for Cambodians to work as maids in Malaysia.
Human Resource Minister Datuk Richard Riot said the first batch of workers was expected to arrive after Hari Raya.
The Cambodian government has agreed to lift the order made by Prime Minister Hun Sen to stop domestic workers from coming to Malaysia in October 2011, following reports of abuse, slave-like conditions and deaths of women working as housemaids.
Riot said this at the launch of a guidebook titled “Guidelines and Tips for Employers of Foreign Domestic Helpers” here yesterday.
The latest development saw both governments agreeing to workers undergoing a monthlong training in Cambodia before coming to Malaysia.
“This training would include basic language skills in Bahasa Malaysia and English, handling of kitchen and home apparatus.
“They will also be taught about the local culture and religious needs of their prospective employers,” said Riot.
Riot said a meeting involving the joint committee to iron out issues was held in Phnom Penh recently.
“I had a very fruitful discussion with Cambodian Labour and Vocational Training minister in Phnom Penh and we are looking forward to the arrival of the first batch,” he added.
Riot said the number of maids would be based on demand.
Malaysian National Association of Employment Agencies (Pikap) president Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan said before 2011, there were some 30,000 foreign domestic workers.
“But currently, there are only about 1,000 Cambodia maids in the country.”
One issue, he said, that should be addressed was the salary for these maids, ranging from RM1,000 to RM1,200.
“Other countries, such as Singapore and Hong Kong, have much higher salaries for maids. So, it is time for us to review our salary scale for the domestic maids.”