Start to focus on a solution

MALAYSIA is enduring a severe maid drought. It is like going through a bad and bitter divorce. When you think that you are almost at the brink of salvation, your lovely jilted ex starts to throw a curve ball that throws you off guard and you are back at square one.

I think it is an understatement when I say that our nation relies heavily on our neighbour. Their citizens are practically all around us. We see them in our daily lives, whether we realise it or not.

They construct our buildings, man our restaurants, sweep our corridors, and fill up our shopping malls. I am not talking bad about them, but this is the reality of Malaysia.

It is cultural potpourri, it is one thing that we are very proud of. We even rely on foreigners to take care of what most people, or parents, will agree to be their most precious belongings – their family.

Therefore, I need not say more on how important are they to our lives. Their presence allows us to enjoy our lives to the fullest and pursue our ambitions whatever they may be.

This is in striking contrast to what our previous generations had to face, which is to give up their dreams so that they can make the ultimate sacrifice of taking care of the family.

Without maids, can you really imagine taking care of four children, keeping the house clean, making sure that there are always hot meals on the dining table and still look like a hot bombshell for your life partner returning from the day’s work?

Therefore, the maid drought seems like a major blow. Possibly gone are the carefree days of using money to solve life’s little problems.

I get the Indonesian side of the story. They are sick and tired of hearing stories about how we Malaysians abuse their citizens. We violate them and give them no respect.

It is unfathomable to think that this can come from our own Malaysians, the so called masyarakat budi pekerti (community with character).

Nevertheless, there are employers who are overly nice and lenient towards their maids. I am talking from personal experience here.

I live with my brother’s family, and they have a maid who does everything. She is one of those Jack ... err... Jill of all trades, but master of none.

Our house is a mess, there is a pile of unfinished laundry at our patio, and our toilets are filled with even more dirty laundry and hordes of children’s toys.

And you know what? My brother and his wife don’t make a fuss over it. They just thank God that someone is there to do the babysitting, cooking and housekeeping.

Oh, did I mention that they took her overseas, just so that someone will be there to take care of the children?

That is how nice my brother is to our maid. I never saw him raise his voice at her, not even when she wakes up late and forgets to iron his shirts. He has started to treat her as his own family member.

Growing up, my family once had a local maid, and she was never perfect at housekeeping, babysitting or cooking. There were eight of us including our parents!

Our neighbour should put a stop to their ridiculous demands and start to focus on a solution.

If the salary is an issue, remember, not only have we to pay the maids their monthly salary, but also for their visa, medical and registration fees, not to mention ensuring the maid is being fed and being provided with proper accommodation. Is that not worth a lot?

I sympathise with the suffering maids, but hey, you guys are messed up as well. We once had a maid who stole our belongings and ran away. The police managed to catch her – years later.

So, let bygones be bygones, and learn from our mistakes. Find a solution as opposed to prolonging the problem. I hate to see our relationship being strained any longer.

SHARDY, Subang Jaya.