Indonesian maid issue gets more confusing

Not just a domestic issue: File pic showing maids at their employer’s house.

KUALA LUMPUR: There is much confusion over the live-out rule of Indonesian maids, with employers unsure of whether they will be able to work in the country at all from next year.

Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Herman Prayitno was reported in The Star yesterday as saying that Indonesia would no longer allow its women to work as live-in maids in any foreign country from next year, but to be employed as formal workers, with set working hours and a day off every week.

Sin Chew Daily quoted Trigustono Supriyanto, minister counsellor for information, social and culture at the Indonesian embassy here, as saying that maids already in the country could stay, and it was up to employers to renew their contracts – but that no new maids would come from Indonesia from next year.

“We want to export only skilled workers in the future, such as nurses and technicians,” Trigustono said.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Richard Riot said his ministry had yet to receive any official letter on the matter.

“We have had a few meetings with Indonesia, which are supposed to be ongoing, but we have not received any official word on this,” he said.

Malaysian Maid Employers Association (Mama) president Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein feels that the Government should consider the live-out option but with conditions.

“The maid would then be the same as any other contractual employee, with annual leave, stipulated working hours, etc. Once they leave the employers’ premises, the employer would no longer be liable for them. And finding and paying for housing and board would then be their own responsibility,” he said.

He added that this move would not address the perennial problem of runaway maids.

“What happens if they do not turn up for work?” he asked.

Engku Ahmad Fauzi said there should be three options simultaneously open to Malaysian employers: live-in maids; formal contract workers who live outside the employer’s house; and part-time maids, paid hourly.

“This third option would then deal with the problem of runaway maids, because the agency would have to replace any no-shows.”

Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Jeffrey Foo said if the Indonesian government wanted to change the rules, Malaysians would have to source from other countries such as the Philippines and Sri Lanka “as we are not compelled to abide by such restrictions”.