Mama to discuss with authorities about easing hiring process

KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian Maid Employers Association (Mama) will sit with the authorities to discuss ways to facilitate potential employers’ move to hire foreign maids directly from the nine source countries.

Its president, Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein, said there were issues that must be addressed, including the difficulty in identifying helpers in foreign countries who were suited for employment.

In source countries, mainly Indonesia and Vietnam, he said there would always be local “lookouts” who would make the hiring process difficult.

The illegal agents, he said, would usually have the trust of villages with potential maids.

“The helper’s parents and husband would always seek approval from these men first before allowing her employment abroad.

“Back in 2013, these ‘agents’ would charge up to RM5,000 for one person’s biodata, and they are the most costly part of the hiring chain.

“It is vital to have G2G (government to government) help as this could provide a mutual understanding between the countries and allow Mama and our affiliates to go in and search for potential helpers.”

He said the rationale behind the source countries’ laws was to protect their people’s rights.

Mama, he said, as a representative for employers, would help them find the worker, process documents and fill in required documents online.

“We welcome the government’s announcement.

“Mama will meet the Home and Human Resources Ministries to look into how we can accommodate employers’ demand, efficient sourcing of the workers and help them become good employers.

“We plan to organise orientation programmes for the employers and employees,” he said.

Engku Ahmad said in ensuring potential domestic helpers had a clean bill of health, their wouldbe employers could pay in advance for the candidates to undergo a medical check-up in the source country before they come over.

Medical checks, he said, were usually handled by agents in the source country, followed by the compulsory Foreign Workers’ Medical Examination programme screening.

He said they were planning to meet the Home Ministry and Human Resource ministries on ways to make this work.

“In principle, the policy is good because the employers have options. The issue now is how will the employers source for maids?

“We don’t think Malaysians are willing to travel to source countries to find them.

“Mama is ready to help,” he said, adding that the association was willing to provide training and language classes for potential domestic workers with language problems.