Cambodian maid ban to be lifted by end-May

A working party is said to be finalising an agreement on recruitment, training and employment conditions.

PETALING JAYA: Cambodia’s five-year ban on its citizens working as maids in Malaysia will reportedly be lifted by the end of the month, following a meeting between ministers from both countries.

According to Cambodian news portal Khmer Times, the country’s Labour Minister Ith Samheng and Human Resources Minister Richard Riot Jaem agreed to implement a deal to end the ban “later this month”.

A working party is said to be finalising an agreement on recruitment, training and employment conditions.

The memorandum of understanding, signed in December 2015, was originally expected to be ironed out within months and implemented by the end of 2016.

Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen introduced the ban in 2011 after negative reports emerged over the ill-treatment of maids by Malaysian employees and agents, including physical and sexual abuse, unhealthy meals, forced overtime, and unpaid wages.

Cambodian NGOs are against the move to resume the movement of maids, saying that their labour ministry officials allegedly have vested interests in recruitment agencies sending maids overseas.

Many of the country’s labour rights groups doubt the necessary protection will be given to maids, or that the Cambodian authorities will enforce it with their Malaysian counterparts. -FMT