Employers relieved as MOU makes headway

GEORGE TOWN: Malaysians reacted with huge relief over the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the recruitment of Indonesian domestic workers.

Businessman Syed Mohamed Syed Hassan, 31, said the agreement between both governments was welcome news for him and many others. “It is definitely good news that everything is now in place between the two governments,” he said.

Syed Mohamed, who runs a fine-dining restaurant, said he hoped there would also be protection for employers in the event an Indonesian maid leaves before the contract has ended, suggesting that an insurance scheme be incorporated into the MOU for employers.

Restaurateur Shamsul Munir Safini, 38, said it was great that the MOU had been finally signed after several postponements.

“I hope the government can find a new mechanism to ease the overload of applications to bring in Indonesian maids and workers into the country,” he said, adding that the mechanism should not, however, compromise on security.

Cleaning services operator Baby Goh, in welcoming the MOU, said there were still many grey areas for those wanting to hire a maid.

“Will the maid application be the same with that of other applications, what is the fee involved and the agreed salary? Details on these are still vague,” she added.