‘Supermaids’ make a comeback

PETALING JAYA: For years, they were the upmarket ‘last resort’ because of the higher costs and stringent requirements involved – but Filipino domestic workers are now back in high demand.

Employment agencies are reporting increasing enquiries on their availability, with many desperate Malaysian families not hesitating to sign up for Filipino maids.

ALSO READ: Maid agencies worried demand for Indonesians may drop

Filipino maids were once branded “supermaids” because they were considered to be “child-friendly” with good communication and cleaning skills, but many Malaysians baulked at the high cost.

According to the National Human Resources Association Malaysia (Pusma), there has been a recent 20% increase in Malaysian employers opting for Filipino maids, however.

In the past, about 70% of domestic helpers in Malaysia were Indonesians, being the preferred choice of Muslim households here because of their shared religion.

Pusma president Zarina Ismail confirmed the high demand for Filipino maids, saying agencies have even received applications from Muslim employers since they are desperate.

Employers have been waiting for maids for over two years since the Covid-19 pandemic first struck, she said.

“They can’t wait anymore. They have waited two years so they take whatever they can get now,” she added.

Zarina said many have switched from Indonesians to Filipinos as the waiting period for the former is still uncertain.

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“One of my clients, who has been waiting for an Indonesian maid since 2020, opted to get a Filipino maid because he has waited for too long,” she added.

Additionally, after the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MOU) on the Employment and Protection of Indonesian Domestic Workers between Indonesia and Malaysia, she said the wage gap between Indonesian and Filipino helpers has narrowed, which has fuelled demand for the latter.

The MOU PDI was signed between Putrajaya and Jakarta on April 1.

“The wage of an Indonesian helper is RM1,500 with a day off per week while for Filipino maids it’s RM1,680 with a day off in a week.

“There is only over RM100 difference and without a day off, Indonesian maids are to be paid RM1,800 while Filipino maids get RM1,840.

“However, under the new provisions of the MOU, Indonesian maids are to be employed under specific job scopes such as cook and cleaner or caretaker for the elderly or children,” said Zarina.

She added that the total household income required to apply for an Indonesian maid is RM7,000 for the first maid and RM14,000 for the second. This is in contrast to the RM5,000 for a Filipino first maid and RM10,000 for a second.

The Star previously reported that before the pandemic in 2019, there were over 40,000 Filipino domestic workers in Malaysia.

Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia vice-president Suresh Tan also said as the wage gap between Indonesian and Filipino domestic workers has narrowed, demand for the latter has picked up.

He said that there are two to three times more applications being submitted to the Philippines embassy for domestic helpers.

“Those who have had a bad experience with maids who run away also turn to Filipino maids.

“What’s more, their recruitment fees are less than RM15,000,” he added.

Suresh said Filipino maids are proficient in English and “child-friendly”, which makes them highly sought after.

Malaysian Maid Employers Association president Engku Ahmad Fauzi Engku Muhsein said employers who can afford it would opt for Filipinos as they are more skilled and the recruitment process has less bureaucracy.