Denying maids new minimum wage makes no sense

 

A good number of Malaysians have had to deal with domestic helpers directly or indirectly in the course of their lives. Having had one at some point of my life, I have realised how some of us treat these poor souls with utter disdain.

I must qualify this by saying that most Malaysians who hire maids do not fall into this category, but there are definitely a good number who tend to treat them a little like slaves.

They do this despite knowing that the women are here to just work, earn an income, and send money home for their loved ones.

Many have been bullied by their employers and their children, who treat them like servants. Most of these workers are forced to put up with long hours.

There are some maids who have been a source of problem for their employers, but I believe these are exceptions and definitely not the norm.

It is not easy being “caged” in a home with little freedom and being at the mercy of the family members all the time.

One might say they have little choice as they were fully aware of what was in store before coming here, but this does not mean you don’t treat them like human beings.

Given a choice, I’m sure they would have stayed home to avoid this kind of dehumanisation.

A few decades ago, Indonesian domestic workers were given a starting monthly wage of about RM700. This was raised to RM1,200 in 2018.

Four years later, then prime minister Ismail Sabri Yaakob led a Malaysian delegation to Jakarta to sign a memorandum of understanding on the recruitment of maids from the country.

One of the clauses insisted upon by Jakarta was the inclusion of the RM1,500 minimum wage for maids, in line with the national policy. This was to ensure that domestic workers are not discriminated against, and Malaysia obliged.

Domestic workers from most other countries are also given the minimum wage, except for those from the Philippines, who start from RM1,800, although they perform similar tasks as the others.

There are an estimated 100,000 documented maids from about 13 countries, with 60% of them coming from Indonesia. The number could be much higher if those working illegally are taken into account.

The issue here is that they are all classified as foreign workers and make similar sacrifices, being away from home and their husbands, children and parents for long periods of time, among others. It is a huge sacrifice considering the meagre salaries they earn.

Without them, many Malaysian homes would be in disarray as both husbands and wives are forced to work nowadays to make ends meet.

In his budget speech last Friday, Prime Minister Anwar Ibrahim stressed that the government is committed to providing fair treatment to all workers, regardless of nationality, in line with international standards.

Although he may have omitted mentioning fair treatment irrespective of sectors, it definitely includes all jobs that foreigners are engaged in, as this is the international standard he was also referring to.

The International Labour Organization is very clear on this: there should be no discrimination whatsoever.

So why did the National Wages Consultative Council (NWCC), in its frequently asked questions, declare that domestic workers are not entitled to the minimum wage?

It is mind-boggling. It makes no sense that this sector, comprising nearly all females, is being discriminated against when, in the same breath, the government wants all foreign workers to be treated equally.

On Saturday, Indonesian ambassador Hermono told FMT that the monthly salaries for domestic workers from Indonesia should be adjusted to reflect the new minimum wage of RM1,700 to be implemented next year.

He said that under the current MoU between Malaysia and Indonesia signed two years ago, the minimum salary was set at RM1,500 in line with the existing national wage policy then.

The outspoken envoy said this must be adjusted accordingly, adding that any changes to the provisions of the MoU will be discussed at the next joint working group meeting comprising officials from the ministries involved.

Indonesia is hosting the next JWG meeting, but no date has been set for the biennial meeting to discuss problems faced by domestic workers from the country. Hermono said Indonesia would be pushing for their salaries to follow the national wage policy.

This anomaly must be rectified to show that no one is discriminated against. All foreign workers, irrespective of their sectors, are doing their bit to keep Malaysia going.

Employers of maids should not oppose any move to pay them the new minimum wage of RM1,700. Without them, the domestic harmony in many homes may be disrupted. - FMT

The views expressed are those of the writer and do not necessarily reflect those of MMKtT.