MCA wants cap on recruitment fees for domestic workers

 

MCA wants the Human Resources Ministry to set a ceiling price for recruitment fees of domestic workers.

"In view of news reports that recruitment fees for foreign domestic helpers may hit an astronomical RM25,000, Wanita MCA urges the Human Resources Ministry to set a ceiling price not exceeding RM15,000 to RM20,000 inclusive of Covid-19 tests and quarantine," Wanita MCA chief Heng Seai Kie said in a statement today. 

Heng expressed concern that the high recruitment fee may cause some employers to try and "extract as much labour" as they can from their domestic helper.

"Wanita MCA is also concerned that when employers have to bear such hefty recruitment charges, they may in turn want to extract as much labour out of their household servant to commiserate the fees paid.

"Even worse, the employer may turn abusive, even physically, and in rare and extreme cases, (become) sexually abusive against the foreign maid.

"They might also exploit her by compelling the maid to toil in more than one home," she added. 

Be reasonable 

Heng said employers should also be reasonable in dealing with their household helpers.

The hiring of domestic helpers, she said, should not be seen as a privilege of the wealthy.

"There are many M40 families where both husband and wife work long hours.

"Yet, they are the main caregivers for their ageing parents whose physical movements or mental capacity have usually slowed down or they are impaired with one medical issue or another.

"Simultaneously, working parents also tend to their children, be they newborn infants up till primary and secondary school-going children," she added.

Wanita MCA chief Heng Seai Kie

She said a domestic helper can help alleviate the pressure on households, particularly where both spouses are working.

Heng also noted that in the memorandum of understanding for Malaysia to recruit domestic helpers from Indonesia, a request had been made by the Indonesian side for the minimum wage to be set at RM1,500.

"This amount is higher than Malaysia’s RM1,200 minimum wage.

"In a competitive free market, the government could consider allowing more hired helps from other developing countries to arrive in Malaysia to reduce the over-reliance on Indonesia as the main source for maid recruitment," she added. - Mkini