Malaysians Welcome Direct Indonesian Maid Hiring

Jakarta Globe, Hazlin Hassan -Straits Times Indonesia, July 22, 2011

Indonesian women in Bekasi, Java, being checked for eligibility to be
sent abroad to work as domestic workers. (AFP Photo) 

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Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian employers are hailing a move that makes it easier for them to hire Indonesian maids without going through agents, saying it will slash hiring costs and allow them more flexibility in choosing candidates.

Agents' fees can cost up to RM8,000 ($3,200) and cutting out the middleman could more than halve that in some cases.

The move is part of a memorandum of understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia aimed at protecting the rights of employers and maids. The agreement ended a two-year ban by Indonesia on sending new domestic workers to Malaysia, after several high-profile maid abuse cases.

It also cut some of the red tape involved in hiring a maid directly. While it was never compulsory for Malaysians to use agencies, the process was previously beset with bureaucracy.

Many Malaysian families rely on maids for everything from cooking and cleaning to caring for children and aged parents.

Mohamed Imran Ishak, a 34-year-old manager, has hired two maids through agencies in the past, paying between RM5,000 and RM8,000 in fees each time. But the maids were not properly trained and stole from him, he said.

Last year, he brought in the sister of his relative's maid, who came highly recommended.

After she came from Indonesia on a social visit pass, he went to the Immigration Department to apply for her work permit, and took her for a medical check-up. He spent about RM2,000.

'It's easier to do it yourself and it's a lot cheaper,' he said.

Homemaker Chee Meng Lin, 46, said that going direct allowed prospective employers to 'bypass greedy agents'.

'The maid's salary goes directly to her and you can get who you want. If you had a good maid and she wants to go home but she has a relative who can work in her place, then you can hire her directly,' she said.

Maids who go through agencies often have their first few months' salaries cut as they hand over fees to agencies for administrative charges and flight tickets.

Malaysian maid agencies warned that it is risky - for the maid as well as the employer - to bypass them.

Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies president Jeffrey Foo said maids might be more vulnerable to abuse.

'If a maid is hired directly, then she will have no protection or counseling in times of trouble. She may be subjected to stress, abuse or exploitation,' Mr Foo told The Straits Times, adding that contractual disputes over salaries and days off may also arise.

For employers, the risk of employing a maid with a dubious background is higher, he said, without an agency to vet the applicants.

According to government data, Indonesian maids comprised 76.7 per cent of the total 247,069 foreign maid population in Malaysia as at December last year.

Under the MOU, maids now get a day off each week and get to keep their passports. 

Reprinted courtesy of Straits Times Indonesia. To subscribe to Straits Times Indonesia and/or the Jakarta Globe call 021 2553 5055.