Maid woes may go on longer

Mama and Papa on tenterhooks after embassy advises Indonesia to continue ban

PETALING JAYA: Organisations representing employers and recruitment agencies have expressed shock at news that Indonesia may extend the ban over its nationals working here as maids.

The Malaysian Maid Employers’ Association (Mama) president Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein said it would be especially unfortunate for families with very young children.

“Indonesian maids had been expected to resume working in Malaysia after this month and we hope nothing will jeopardise this,’’ he said.

It was reported that the indonesian Embassy had advised its government to suspend the sending of maids to Malaysia after two domestic helpers working for a senior government official here were allegedly abused recently.

Indonesia had banned the supply of maids since 2009 after several cases of maid abuse here grabbed the headlines.

Engku Ahmad Fauzi also rapped employers who ill-treated and abused their domestic workers.

“These maids are here to earn money to take care of their families.

“They have to be treated with respect and not abused,’’ he said.

Association of Foreign Maid

Indonesian maids had been expected to resume working in Malaysia after this month and we hope nothing will jeopardise this. — ENGKU AHMAD FAUZI ENGKU MUHSEIN

Agencies (Papa) acting president Jeffrey Foo said abuse occured when there was no mechanism to monitor the welfare of domestic maids.

He said this had been the case since the Indonesian Government imposed its moratorium about two and a half years ago.

“Maids come into Malaysia under the journey performed visa which is then converted into work permits by their employers,’’ said Foo.

He said because of this, there was no mechanism in place to oversee the maids’ welfare as well as ensure they received their salaries.

“There is no way to check on employers under this system,’’ added Foo.

He said Papa had formulated a comprehensive system to protect both maids and employers from the time the domestic worker arrives in Malaysia right up to when she is repatriated when her contract ends.

“But the Government has not been receptive to our proposal,’’ he said.

Meanwhile, businesswoman K. Viji said she was fed-up with the bureaucracy over the hiring of Indonesian maids.

“I have had Indonesian domestic workers for some 20 years now but have decided to switch to Sri Lankan maids,’’ said Viji who manages a petrol station in Malacca.

She added that when her Indonesian maid went back a year ago, she couldn’t get a replacement because of the moratorium.

“I was terribly inconvenienced and don’t want to go through anything similar,’’ she said.