Employers give thumbs-up to Maid Online system

SEREMBAN: In fewer than 10 days, Sulaiman Abd Reshid, 44, will get his fifth foreign domestic helper at half the cost of what he used to pay maid agencies.

The marine pilot was among the first batch of employers in the state to receive their maids under the Immigration Department’s new Maid Online system.

“The new system saves time, and the cost is lower,” said Sulaiman at the state Immigration Department here yesterday.

“I used to pay betweenRM12,000 and RM15,000 to maid agencies. But with the Maid Online system, the processing fee cost me only RM1,375.

“I hired an agent from Indonesia to look for a helper. I had to pay about RM5,000 to the agent to proceed with documentation, but I still save a lot.

“I am thankful to the government for introducing this system. It saves us the hassle of getting a maid.”

The system was first announced by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak during his 2018 Budget speech. The system allows employers to hire foreign domestic helpers directly from nine countries.

The countries are Indonesia, Thailand, Cambodia, the Philippines, Sri Lanka, India, Vietnam, Laos and Myanmar.

Construction Industry Development Board Internal Audit head Shahrulizam Zainal Abidin said the processing time needed to hire a maid used to be a month.

“The new system is userfriendly, and you can send in your application from your home.

Based on my experience, the process to get a maid was so complicated that I had take leave from work to complete it.

“I recommend the system to anyone who wants to get a maid without going through an agent.”

State Immigration Department deputy director (Control) Amrih Siatoh said the system offered fast, accurate, cost-efficient rates and services, and the number of applications was expected to increase next month.