Our Children's Education, At Its Best ?

Pilot project for vocational training
By NELSON BENJAMIN

SINGAPORE: A total of 50 schools have been selected to carry out a pilot project offering a subject on basic vocational training for students entering secondary school, Deputy Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin said.
Muhyiddin, who is also Education Minister, also said the subject would be offered to students in Form One to Form Three beginning next year and would be on a voluntary basis.
“We will issue them with certificates and if they want to continue after that, they can pursue vocational training until diploma level,” he said, adding that the subject would be taught during school hours.
He said the ministry had adequate manpower to teach the subject.

Quizzed: Muhyiddin (middle) asking hospitality student Michelle Yap (left) during his visit to the Institute of Technical Education.

 

Muhyiddin reiterated that this project was in line with plans to carry out a transformation of the existing vocational training model being used in the country.
He added that the ministry was keen to learn from Singapore’s model as, presently, 20% of those entering the republic’s schooling system opted for vocational training.
“At the moment, 70% of their vocational courses are based on practical applications while 30% involves theory.
“Although the Singaporean model is different, we are interested to learn from them as they started early,” he said during a press conference after his two-day official visit to the island nation recently.
While in Singapore, he visited the Institute of Technical Education College West to find out more about its vocational training.
During his trip, Muhyiddin had inspected the Tuas South Incineration Plant.
He said Malaysia would have to follow Singapore’s steps to build such incinerators as part of its long-term measures to manage solid waste in the country.
“Back home we have a lot of challenges, especially managing people’s concerns whenever we decide to build such a plant.
“But whatever system we use, it will be the best as in Singapore. They not only dispose of their waste this way, but also generate electricity with it,” he added.
On other matters discussed during the visit, Muhyiddin said all issues agreed by both countries, especially with regards to the handing over of KTMB land in Tanjung Pagar, the handing over of the Singapore water treatment plant to Johor and the development of property projects, were proceeding as planned.
“One issue that both parties have agreed to take to a mediator is the development charges imposed on certain pieces of land in Singapore,” he said.
Earlier, at dinner with about 250 Malaysians living in Singapore, Muhyiddin called for citizens to return home and contribute their skills to the country’s development.
He said the country was in need to professionals and those with these skills should think about returning to Malaysia.
“It is good that you have served the Singaporean community. Now it is time to think about Malaysia.
“There are many avenues for you, especially through Talent Corp,” he said in his speech during the dinner.
Muhyiddin added that talent is needed to fill at least three million jobs that will be created through the various economic and transformation models being carried out by the government.

Source: The Star - Saturday, October 29, 2011

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Where we have gone wrong in education

DEPUTY Prime Minister Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin has indicated a desire to learn from Singapore’s vocational and technical education.
May I point out that success in any field at higher levels does not happen in isolation?
A lot of work has to be done at the foundation so as to pave the way for such achievements to occur.
Trying to emulate whatever is happening at the top level without first scrutinising and doing the same at the foundation is bound to lead to failure.
As far as the Singapore model is concerned, it does not take much to see what they have been doing at the foundation.
At a very simplistic level and one that is obvious to all but those who refuse to see:
> HAVE only one national education system that caters to all;
> MEDIUM of instruction – English; and
> PAY the teachers well to attract the best to enter the profession.
Do we not realise that what Malaysia has done and is doing is directly the opposite to the above?
This is our situation:
> OUR education system is split: There exists national schools which are primarily Malay medium, national-type Chinese and Tamil schools, and private ones which cater to parents who want their children to have the advantage of learning in English.
> MULTIPLE mediums of instruction in school which multiply the difficulties for our children when they enter institutions of higher learning because of the lack of fluency in English, which is the medium used in most universities abroad.
And now with the imminent reversal of PPSMI, the problem of poor fluency in English in subjects for which a command of the language is of utmost importance in order to ensure progress will resurface.
> LOW and unattractive salary scale for the teaching profession.
The notion of trying to overcome problems by tackling the issue(s) at the wrong level is evident in the way the Government is trying to instill racial integration through programmes like National Service.
Does it make sense to tell the youth at age 17 or 18 to learn to live together with other races in harmony when they’ve lived out their entire formative years in racial isolation in schools which have segregated a majority of them by race?
Save the money currently being poured into National Service and use it to reboot the failing school system.
Put our children together in schools where, from a young age, they can interact with all races and a natural outcome of this will be racial integration.
Listen to the voices of Malaysians united across the racial divide, encompassing all ages, over the request to continue PPSMI for the benefit of our future generations.
Then maybe young Malaysians in future will instead have the upper hand and be able to teach the Singaporeans a thing or two about education instead of being condemned to lag behind them forever.
As a matter of interest, can the public be informed as to which schools the children/grandchildren of the politicians, who are against the PPSMI, are in?
If the PPSMI is not retained, can it be made mandatory for them to be enrolled in the national school so as to be able to get the “best” education possible for them?             
H0OR YOU MEI,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star - Sunday, October 30,2011

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Don’t tinker with PPSMI

I REFER to the letter “Where we have gone wrong in education” (Sunday Star, Oct 30). I cannot agree with her more.
The Education Minister, Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, on an official visit to Singapore, sang praises about the vocational and technical education system in Singapore.
Did he fail to realise that as a whole, parents in Malaysia are envious of the good education system in Singapore?
It is not only vocational education alone that is worth emulating. The schools in Singapore are well funded, teachers are motivated, the standard of teaching is high.
But more importantly, they teach in English, the language of science, commerce, and diplomacy of the 21st century.
The National University of Singapore (NUS) ranks consistently as one of the top 30 universities in the world.
Universiti Malaya, the precursor institution of NUS before the two universities split in the 1960’s, struggles to stay within the top 200, despite numerous attempts by many vice-chancellors to improve its ranking.
This is an example of how our education system has deteriorated. It is all because of meddling by our politicians since the early 1960s.
Now we know why there are bus loads of school children crossing the check point in Johor Baru at 4am every morning.
Not something that you would want for your children if you do not believe that studying in English gives them an edge in the job market.
I cannot understand the statement made by Muhyiddin yesterday, that it would be ‘kucar kacir’ (chaotic) if parents are given the choice to choose the medium of instruction for Science and Maths.
This situation arose only because of the Education Ministry’s weak position on Teaching of Science and Maths in English.
I could sense that the level of English among our teenagers was improving because of this policy.
Malay, Chinese and Indian kids no longer give you a blank look when you speak to them in English.
The children themselves agree that their English is improving. So what if we do not have enough competent English teachers for now?
The teachers’ English proficiency will definitely improve over time.
Do not underestimate our children’s ability to cope on their own, with the help of the Internet, tons of study materials are available in English compared to Bahasa, and also the fervour of the parents helping their children with school work. We need at least 20 years to see results.
An entire generation of school children will benefit if this policy is carried through with strong will.
Unfortunately, our Cabinet, together with the ministry, saw it fit to again tinker with something that works, pandering to grouses of a few short-sighted Malay and Chinese educationists and numerous obscure pressure groups who may not even have school-going children!
I also find it extremely hypocritical that our ministers and senior politicians have no shame when they mention that their children are studying in international schools instead of national schools.
Why the need to study in international schools? Is it not because they can learn in English?
Why is the future of our children less important than theirs?
I urge the Deputy Prime Minister and his colleagues in the Cabinet to think again for the future of other people’s children, and do not back track on this policy of teaching of Science and Maths in English.
It is the only semblance of a good education the average child can hope for in this country.
YAP BOON KAH,
Kuala Lumpur.

Source: The Star - Monday, October 31, 2011

The Maid - 'Deadly' Test To Make A Living

Family of Dead Indonesian Maid in Shock 
Melisa Kok

Singapore. The family members of the Indonesian woman, who took her own life after failing an entry test for maids thrice, have buried her in their home town of Kluwan in Central Java. But they are still in shock over their loss.

Sulastri Wardoyo, 26, had hanged herself at the maid hostel where she was staying last Saturday, after failing three times to pass a test that would have let her work here. (ST Photo)

Sulastri Wardoyo, a married 26-year-old mother of one, had hanged herself in a shower stall in a maid hostel here on May 28. She died in hospital a few days later.

Her husband, who gave his name only as Sudarsono, told The Straits Times in a telephone interview: 'Up to today, we don't believe she committed suicide. She was a strong woman; she wouldn't do something like that.'

The 27-year-old farmer had been told on May 31 by his wife's Indonesian recruiter that she had been hospitalized, and then told the next day that she had died.

Her body was flown back last Friday and buried on the same day.

It is believed that Sulastri became despondent when she failed to clear the written English test of literacy and numeracy skills.

All newly arrived maids have to pass the test within three days of their arrival, among other requirements, before they are cleared to work in Singapore.

If they fail it, they are sent home.

Sudarsono said there were no problems at home. He described his late wife as a strong-hearted woman who was very close to her family and ever ready to help her friends.

'While being trained at the training centre before she went to Singapore, she called us every Saturday and Sunday to ask how we were doing. She was also supportive of her friends who were also undergoing training with her at the centre,' he said.

Indonesians looking to become maids in Singapore for the first time undergo around three months of training, which covers areas such as spoken English and performing household chores.

Sudarsono said his wife did not face difficulties during her training, but added that they had not been in touch since her arrival here.

Their daughter, 11/2-year-old Afeka Fapeana Kusumu Dewi, is now being cared for by  Sulastri's parents.

The child misses her mother, said Sudarsono. 'She cries all the time, asking, 'Where is mother?' She is confused.'

He said his wife had borrowed about 7 million rupiah (S$1,000) from relatives to come to Singapore to work.

When asked if he had to pay the money back, he said: 'We discussed it as a family. They understand.'

He said he is not sure who will have to foot his wife's hospital bills, but added matter-of-factly: 'Right now, I think it's my responsibility.'

Bridget Tan, president of the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, said she and a few representatives of the migrant worker welfare group will visit Sudarsono and his family next week with an offer of assistance.

She added that she was also looking to start a public donation drive to raise funds for Sulastri's family.

The Indonesian woman's death has turned the spotlight on the entry test for foreign domestic workers, with many maid agencies and employers calling for it to be either reviewed or scrapped.

The Manpower Ministry said on Monday that it is reviewing the test, following feedback it has received over the last few months.

Source: The Jakarta Globe - Wednesday, June 8, 2011

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Officials on Friday vowed to review training programs for migrant workers as news reached the country that Sulastri Wardoyo had attempted suicide and died in the hospital.

Asia-Pacific director for protection at the National Board for the Placement and Protection of Indonesian Overseas Workers (BNP2RKI), Sadono, said the state would ensure that workers were prepared for life abroad before approving their permits.

Aside from language skills, Sulastri’s case highlighted the need to prepare workers mentally for the stresses of life abroad.

Workers who have not completed their training cannot be placed in any country to avoid any problem over the lack of skills or language training.

Sulastri was housed by employment agency Budget Maid in a hostel, in north of Singapore.

She took the Foreign Domestic Worker Entry Test on Wednesday, Thursday and Friday but failed every time.

Staff claimed that she had been depressed over her trice failure in the English-language, preventing her from working in the city-state. 

She then tried to commit suicide by hanging herself in a shower cubicle at the maid hostel where she was staying on Saturday. 

After she was found, staff cut the rope used to hang herself.

Her heart stopped three times as paramedics tried to resuscitate her.

She was then admitted to intensive care at Khoo Teck Puat Hospital since Saturday after the attempted suicide.

She was said to have suffered brain damage after scanning, and passed away last Wednesday, after being confined in intensive care.

Severe brain damage can occur when the brain is deprived of oxygen for more than two minutes and such patients would be in a comatose state and can have difficulty breathing.

The Indonesian government was urged to find out why Sulastri failed the test.

It is important too, for the government to craft pro-training policies, and national discussion is needed as it acknowledge that training programs are still weak.

The government needs to evaluate the migrant-worker training system locally.

It would even be better if the government will also be involved in giving training to the migrant workers to improve the quality of the workers sent abroad.

For now, the government requires private recruitment agencies to give preparation courses and teaches skills for workers and state bodies.

But the state is encouraged not to depend on recruiters to provide quality instruction.

Executive director of Migrant Care, Anis Hidayah, needs the Indonesian government to “tighten supervision” of placement agencies and evaluate the preparations provided by these agencies.

She added, migrant workers’ readiness should be measured by their ability to speak the language of their employer country, their completion of administrative requirements and the skills they need for the job.

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Singapore Entry Test for Maids 'Too Difficult' 
Elizabeth Soh 

Singapore. About 50 maids sat the test - and only five passed.

That was the dismal result yesterday when the latest batch of newly arrived maids took the Foreign Domestic Worker Entry Test.

They must pass the test before they can work here, and are given three tries, failing which they must leave Singapore. But they can come back to retake the test.

Last Saturday, an Indonesian maid, who was said to be depressed after failing the test three times, tried to hang herself.

Every weekday, about 80 maids take the test in batches at the Mountbatten office of Grace Management, which has been contracted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) to conduct the tests.

The test was introduced in 2005 as part of measures by MOM to improve the literacy and numeracy skills of maids here. In 2009, the questions were revised following an MOM review.

Maids have 30 minutes to answer 40 multiple choice questions in English. The questions test their understanding of English as well as in areas like household chores, budgeting and childcare.

At the centre yesterday, the mix of Indonesian, Filipino and Myanmar maids looked nervous while waiting for their results. Some were already crying while others clutched well-thumbed folders containing sheets of sample questions and answers that they had studied.

Maids awaiting the results of the entry test yesterday. They must pass the test before they can work here, and are given three tries, failing which they must leave Singapore. MOM says the test has helped to ensure that more mature and literate maids come here. (ST Photo/Wang Huifen)

The results were out within half an hour and, according to the agents there, all except five maids failed. It was the second or third attempt for most.

MOM has said the passing rate for the test has consistently been 95 per cent. But agents said that based on what they have observed, the rate is much lower.

'Each day, at least half will fail,' said an agent who was at the centre. 'Some are taking the test for the 20th time. They will just keep trying because the cost is too much for them to give up.'

Filipino and Sri Lankan maids are repatriated if they fail and have to face the disappointment of families, who often have to sell their cattle or homes to pay for them to come here.

Most Indonesian maids are sent to Batam to be retrained before they take the ferry back - often at their own expense - to try again. Almost all owe at least $1,000 to their agents back home.

Myanmar maid Bawk Nu, 23, was one of the few who cleared the test yesterday. It was her first attempt. 'I was not confident of passing, I was so scared,' she said in a mix of English and Mandarin. 'I'm very happy I can be a maid now.'

Twenty employment agencies interviewed said the passing rates ranged from 60 per cent for Myanmar and Indonesian maids to 90 per cent for Filipino ones.

Filipino maid Felicita Fernandez, 41, started to cry 10 minutes before the results were out. She was taking the test for the third time. 'If I fail this time, I will have to go back to the Philippines,' said the mother of four. 'I have no money and I will now owe more.'

Unfortunately, she failed.

About 10 maids interviewed at the centre said they did not understand most of the questions. While most were able to read them, they did not understand the content.

'I tikam the paper,' said Indonesian maid Sumiyati, 23, referring to how she made wild guesses. She showed how she circled the answers randomly.

Employment agencies said the test became too tough after it was revised. A common complaint was that it now features far fewer illustrations and pictures.

Peter Chan of Javamaids said: 'Passing the entry test also does not mean that they can converse in English. And no matter how much we train the girls in other areas like cooking, it's useless if they can't pass the test.'

Suhaila Musao of Yathrib Services said: 'The real value in the training is the practical lessons like ironing and cooking. But the maids are so frustrated and pressured about the test that they cannot focus.'

An MOM spokesman said the test has helped ensure that more mature and literate maids come to Singapore. It is conducted in English because public signs and labels are generally in that language.

Several employers said that while an entry test was important, what was more useful than a maid's ability to speak English were skills like being able to look after the elderly and children and cook basic meals.

'I want a maid with a good learning attitude and good hygiene, who can cook and take care of my family,' said marketing executive Josephine Teo, 54.

'Speaking English is a plus, but also something she can learn over time.'

Source: The Jakarta Globe - June 2, 2011

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MOM Reviewing Effectives Of Entry Test For Maids

WE REFER to recent letters and articles in The Straits Times on the entry test for first-time foreign domestic workers (FDWs), following the tragic demise of Ms Sulastri Wardoyo.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) introduced the entry test in 2005 as part of a package of measures to ensure first-time FDWs are able to adapt to working and living in Singapore.
The entry test was thus designed to ensure that they possess basic numeracy and literacy skills. It also helps ascertain the ability of FDWs to understand basic safety instructions, as most of them will be working in a highly urbanised environment for the first time.
This is important, both for the safety of the FDW as well as the young children and the elderly she may be taking care of.
Contrary to suggestions by some employment agencies, MOM has not made the entry test more difficult in recent months or years. It is also inaccurate to draw conclusions about the passing rate from a single test session, as your newspaper did ('Entry test for maids 'too difficult''; last Thursday).
In fact, close to 95 per cent of first-time FDWs pass the test. To better assess whether a potential FDW can pass the entry test, employment agencies may use the sample test questions available on MOM's website.
The ministry has been receiving suggestions and ideas on the entry test in recent months, in part due to policy changes in the FDW source countries. MOM is reviewing the effectiveness of the entry test to ensure it remains relevant, while taking into consideration the feedback received.
We will work with key stakeholders as part of the review. Members of the public can e-mail suggestions and views to mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg
Farah Abdul Rahim (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Manpower

Source: Asia One - Tuesday, June 7, 2011

The Maid - Why A No Malaysia, And A No - Yes, Singapore

Where Have S'pore's Indonesian Maids Gone? 
Radha Basu

It makes for an unlikely dream factory. At a whitewashed house on the outskirts of Jakarta, 120 Indonesian women are striving to fulfill a cherished migrant ambition.

They are training to be maids and to look after other people's homes in affluent parts of the region. It is often their only ticket out of penury.

Singapore has long been a coveted destination. But its allure is fading fast.

Ask how many want to work in Taiwan and 66 hands promptly shoot skywards. Another 39 favor Hong Kong, but only 15 cite Singapore as their dream destination.

Why is that, you ask. Singapore is safe, clean and so close to home. Why do they not want to work there?

"Money not enough, Ma'am," the women intone in unison. "Taiwan, Hong Kong got higher salary."

The labor squeeze that has long been a by-product of globalization and booming Asian economies seems to have reached the lower strata of the job market. Women, even from desperately poor backgrounds, can afford to be a bit choosier these days, as maid recruiters in Indonesia are finding out.

This group of women is being trained by Sejahtera Eka Pratama (SEP), an employment agency in Bekasi, near Jakarta.

A similar story is playing out in Pangkalan, a sleepy West Java hamlet about 250km away. Of the 5,000 families living there, at least 4,000 have a son or a daughter working in a low-paying job overseas. The hamlet's dirt roads are accessible only via motorbike.

Sukarma Mahmud, 50, a village recruiter who supplies Indonesian employment agencies with women willing to work as domestic labor overseas, is doing his rounds.

He is making his pitch to Kesih Suta, 23, as she sits on a mat in her parents' two-room home. She returned to her village last December after seven years away working as a maid in Saudi Arabia, Abu Dhabi and Qatar.

"You will earn more than you did for sure," he promises the petite woman whose last pay was around $320 per month. "You may even get four days off a month."

But Kesih, the eldest child of an odd-job worker and a farmer, looks unconvinced. "I can earn even more in Taiwan,' she says in Bahasa.

Sukarma changes tack. "You help me and I help you," he cajoles.

"You pay me something then?" she counters, as her two younger siblings - both under 10 - play nearby. "My parents could use the money.

Would 2 million rupiah (S$290) be enough, he asks.

'I'll think about it,' she smiles. 'No promises.'

Low pay, high qualifications
Indonesia is Singapore's biggest supplier of foreign domestic workers, with at least 90,000 of its citizens working in the Republic.

But a number of factors are taking the gloss off Singapore as a destination, as The Straits Times discovered during a recent visit to training centers and kampungs near Jakarta.

Interviews with 10 Jakarta-based employment agencies and dozens of women who have worked or plan to work as maids overseas found that low pay, high eligibility criteria and the surge in demand from Taiwan, where the women can earn twice what they can here, are undermining Singapore's appeal.

The relatively low wages that Singaporean employers pay for domestic help compared with rates in Hong Kong or Taiwan are by far the biggest disincentive.

An Indonesian maid with no experience who comes to Singapore gets around S$380 a month, though some recruiters are trying to increase that to S$450, with at least one day off.

With wage levels left strictly to market forces and individual employers and maids to determine, some earn even less. Some agencies in Indonesia still recruit maids for S$350 a month or less. Some of these operators are unlicensed.

In Hong Kong, where minimum wage laws are in place, a maid earns at least HK$3,580 (S$581), with at least one day off a week. Unlike in Singapore, domestic workers there are also covered by employment laws and entitled to all public holidays off plus paid annual leave.

Maids in Taiwan can command at least NT$15,840 ($678), with four days off a month. They are also paid extra for working on days off.

Malaysia used to be at the bottom of the table when it came to paying Indonesian maids, but the Jakarta government banned its maids from working there last year after a rise in alleged cases of abuse. Maids in the United Arab Emirates and other countries in the Middle East still receive S$350, or less, but the employers absorb all recruitment costs, unlike in Singapore, Hong Kong and Taiwan. Also, typically, better-off Middle Eastern households employ a few maids each, so the individual workload is lighter.

While Singapore employers generally pay less than those in Hong Kong and Taiwan, the eligibility criteria are the highest.

A worker has to be at least 23 years old and have at least eight years' education to come here. Taiwan and Hong Kong only require domestic workers to be 21 or over. There are no official education criteria, though maids generally have at least primary-level education.

Nurfaizi Suwandi, chairman of Apjati, the Indonesian Manpower Services Association, says: "Twenty-three-year-olds might find it hard to want to work in Singapore for S$380 or S$400, when 21-year-olds are getting close to S$700 in Taiwan."

The body has 330 members, making it Indonesia's largest association for employment agencies.

"The 19- and 20-year-olds who want to come and work in Singapore don't stand a chance."

A few years ago, domestic workers fresh from their villages initially went to Malaysia or Singapore to gain experience, before moving on to higher-paid jobs elsewhere. As Singapore provided an important training ground, it seemed fair that maids were paid less, say agents.

For instance, when Titin Kartini, 26, the eldest of three children of penniless West Java farmers, decided to work overseas a decade ago, she chose Singapore. She earned S$230 a month and worked for a family with three young children.

She had no days off and was not allowed to go out on her own, but she did not mind. "I just focused on learning how to cook and clean, and I also picked up Mandarin," she says. "All I wanted was to move to Hong Kong."

She did so in 2004, and worked there until 2008 for around S$600 a month.

Titin has spent the past three years teaching English at a village school, but is now keen to be off again, this time to Taiwan. "I have always had good employers, but I really want to earn more," says the articulate and confident woman, who can cook for up to 30 people at a time.

Taiwan is attractive not just for the $700 salary.

Unlike in Hong Kong, where she says she was forced to take four days off a month by law - and in doing so spending precious money - she says Taiwan allows her to work on her days off.

By working three Sundays a month, she can earn an additional $70, she calculates.

Opportunities elsewhere
But experienced workers like Titin are not the only ones flocking to Taiwan and Hong Kong these days, says Charles Butar Butar, who heads SEP. Increasingly, even Indonesians with limited or no experience also prefer to start out there.

His agency now supplies around 120 maids to Taiwan and 100 to Hong Kong every month, up from around 80 and 50, respectively, five years ago. There has been a corresponding decrease in supply to Singapore, with only 20 or so of his maids headed here, down from 100 five years ago.

Said Butar Butar: "The Indonesians are increasingly seen to be more obedient and willing to fit into the Chinese culture. And Taiwan and Hong Kong employers don't mind if they have little or no experience."

The Singapore market is getting hit by another factor as well - a depleting supply of Filipino domestic workers, who have long been the Indonesians' rivals in the region.

"For some reason, Filipinas are not coming in the numbers they used to be," says the agency boss. "Indonesians are taking their place."

Filipino maids are increasingly turning down Singapore jobs unless they are paid a Philippine government-stipulated minimum salary of US$400 ($506). This has led to a surge in demand for Indonesians here.

The Philippine Embassy in Singapore confirms that the supply of Filipina domestic workers in the region has been falling in recent years.

More of them prefer to work as retail assistants and factory workers, or go further afield for higher-paying jobs as domestic workers in Canada, Spain and Italy or factory workers in Taiwan, its labor attache Rodolfo Sabulao told The Straits Times.

Indonesians, too, are navigating hitherto unexplored fields, points out Nurfaizi. They are finding jobs on cruise ships in the United States and Europe, and - through a government-to-government program - as health-care workers in Japan.

Even bribes do not work

In a region flush with opportunity, it is small wonder then that many young women in Indonesian villages are reluctant to come to Singapore.

After failing to convince Kesih, Sukarma, the village recruiter, drops in on Zubaidah Nono Suoyana, 27, a former factory worker now planning to work overseas as a maid.

Zubaidah has two young children, including a month-old son, and her husband's pay as an odd-job laborer is not enough for the family. She says she heard on the radio that girls willing to go to Singapore stand to gain an advance payment of 4 million rupiah.

As she has no experience as a maid - a stint in Saudi Arabia was aborted last year when her employer sent her home within a month - Zubaidah initially agrees to work for anything above $350 a month.

But the moment she learns that she might have to live on only $20 a month - or possibly even $10 - for up to nine months while she pays off the recruitment costs, she lets out a small shriek. "I won't even be able to breathe on that money. No way I could survive."

She says her Saudi employer's wife sent her back because she believed her husband was paying her too much attention.

"In Saudi Arabia, there were no deductions," she says. "How do maids survive in Singapore for so long with so little money?"

As he leaves her home, Sukarma claims that he increasingly has to pay maids and their families up to 5 million rupiah to coax them to even consider Singapore.

Recruiters emphasize that the supply of maids from Indonesia has not dried up. But there is a definite crunch in the supply of quality maids.

Says recruitment agent Rudy Hart: "There will always be some who want to go, but their quality is in question." He knows of women who take the "ang pow" money and come to Singapore, only to find that the work is too hard for them. "They then run away and return home," he says. "The agents try to chase them for refunds, but often they don't get any."

Dreaded English test
Singapore's supply is further depleted by the exacting entrance requirements, say Indonesian agents. In April 2005, Singapore introduced a compulsory test in English for all maids that radically changed the game, says Butar Butar.

With better-educated women generally gunning for higher-paying jobs in Hong Kong and Taiwan or other professions elsewhere - and Malaysia out of bounds due to the Indonesian government ban - Singapore is increasingly becoming the place for those who cannot really go anywhere else.

Even if they have completed the mandatory eight years of schooling that Singapore requires, they hardly know any English, points out Antony Rais, who teaches English at Sumber Kencana Sejahtera, a large employment agency on the outskirts of Jakarta.

Although statistics from Singapore's Ministry of Manpower show that nearly 95 per cent of all domestic workers pass the test, Indonesian agents say the number for Indonesians is lower.

Says Mr Hart: "The 95 per cent includes Filipinos, who probably find the test easy." In his agency, which supplies around 50 girls to Singapore every month, about a third fail the test.

In Butar Butar's agency, the pass rate sometimes falls even lower. "Just last week, I sent nine girls to Singapore and six returned after failing the test," he says.

One sultry afternoon earlier this month,  Antony coached a class of 40.

The women prepare for the class by memorizing the answers to 400 questions similar to those found in the Singapore test, with a Bahasa-English dictionary at their side.

The questions are framed in such a way that the women learn not only the basics of English, but also information directly relevant to their work as domestic workers. They also learn about their rights.

"Where in Singapore can you work?" asks Mr Antony, first in English and then in Bahasa. "Only in my employer's house," choruses the class, picking the correct answer from the list of four options.

Later, they learn what a "three-in-one" coffee mix is, how Indonesian helpers should be given at least one day off a month when they work in Singapore and how they can call their agent, embassy or a hotline run by the Association of Employment Agencies (Singapore) if they are not paid.

But learning by rote in a group setting is not always effective. As the class progresses, some play with their pencils or stare at the corridor outside, lost in thought.

Tough employers
While novices are eager to work in Singapore, some returnees are reluctant to go back.

Many narrate stories of how Singaporeans can be tough employers, unlike those in Hong Kong and Taiwan. Many rue what they call their lack of freedom.

From June 2009, when Siti Nurjanah Surjono left Jakarta to go to Singapore to work, till October last year, her parents did not hear from her even once.

Then, on Hari Raya last year, she called her mother. "It was like she came back from the dead," recounts her mother, Julekha Sutana, 45.

Nurjanah, 24, claims that from the time she began working for a family of five adults in Jurong, she was not allowed to leave her employer's home on her own, or even to make a phone call. Her primary duty was to look after the ailing matriarch of the family. She also claims that both she and the elderly woman were not given enough to eat.

Shortly after her first phone call home - 16 months later - the elderly woman died. Nurjanah was returned to the agency and asked to be sent back home.

Meanwhile, her sister Marfuah Surjono, 27, spent eight years working for two families in Hong Kong without incident. She was given enough food, had regular days off and the keys to the house. "My employers even took me to Ocean Park," she beams, referring to a theme park.

Marfuah, who now works as a Cantonese teacher to trainee maids, says she frequently shares her story - and that of her sister's - with prospective maids: "They need to be informed about the risks before they can make choices."

But Singapore still retains its attraction for one group of women who would work here again in a heartbeat - maids who have had fair employers and enjoyed their stints in the Lion City.

Siti Sopiah, 28, a farmer's wife with a one-year-old son worked for the same Bukit Timah family - a married couple, their son and the child's elderly grandmother - for seven years.

She said her employers were concerned about her well-being, frequently asking her if she was happy. They also bought her clothes and gave her generous ang pows during Chinese New Year.

When she left - she says she wanted to "take a rest and get married" - they gave her four gold chains. "All my time there, I only received kindness," she says. "And I tried to pay it back by working hard."

She is now training to return to Singapore. "It's clean, safe and the people are kind," she adds.

The best part, she says, is that her agency is negotiating a salary of at least S$450. "I am really looking forward to going back."

Source: The Jakarta Globe - March 27, 2011

Yusuf Estes: Get Involved And Share

Yusuf Estes was born in January 1, 1944 in Ohio, into an Anglo-Saxon Protestant family.

His family owned several musical instrument companies including the Estes Piano and Organ Company.
From 1962 to 1990, his career was in the music industry, entertainment, marketing, working as a music instructor and music minister.
He produced and directed live entertainment programs in the United States from the mid 1960s until his last endeavour for cable TV in Florida, entitled 'Estes Music Jamboree'.

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Yusuf Estes, a former Catholic Priest, left Christianity in the early 1990s after being involved in a business collaboration with an Egyptian named Muhammad.
The Texas businessman came to Islam while trying to preach Christianity to the Egyptian.

Here is the story of his conversion.

Following his conversion in 1991 at 47-years old, he pursued Arabic language and Quranic studies in Egypt, Morocco and Turkey.

Islamic Missionary Centre In Houston, Texas.

Yusuf Estes, now a former National Muslim Chaplain for the United States Bureau of Prisons, as well as a Delegate to the United Nations World Peace Conference for Religious Leaders held in September 2000. He is actively involved in Islamic missionary work in the United States, and often features as guest lecturer and keynote speaker at various Islamic events, as well as frequently appearing on various Islamic satellite TV channels.

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From 2004, Estes regularly appeared on the Islam Channel, a UK-based, free-to-air English language, Islamic-focused satellite television channel.
UK government figures state that 59% of Muslims watch the channel regularly above any other Muslim Channel.
It broadcasts across Europe, the Middle East and North Africa.
It is soon to commence broadcasting in North America.

Estes appeared on Peace TV too.
Referred as an "edutainment channel", the Islamic satellite television network broadcasting globally 24/7 from Dubai - Another English language and telecasted free-to-air.
Since January 21, 2006, it has been telecasted to more than 150 countries around the world, including in Asia, Europe, Africa, Australia and North America.
It's sister channel (Peace TV Urdu) was launched in 2009, dedicated to the Urdu-speaking viewers around the world.

Estes can be seen on Huda TV too. Another 24/7 Islamic channels broadcasting in many countries around the globe, via satellite and via the website Watch Islam TV Channels.

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One of the first thing to strike Yusuf Estes since coming into the religion, was the lack of proper presentation of Islam in the English language.
He quickly decided the best type of 'business' for him 'to work for the Next Life' - It is by showing others the beautiful and logical reality that is true Islam.

For this reason, he dedicated himself to producing the very best in Islamic presentations, videos and websites – for all people of all ages. Guide US TV, first American Islamic Channel is the most important project he had been blessed to work on.
He wished to put Islam in every household on earth - Work to make a real, positive difference.
GOD willing, Ameen.
He also set up websites directed toward English speaking Muslim youth which include www.TubeIslam.com, a Muslim video sharing site, and www.ChatIslam.com, a Muslim Chatroom, and for young children www.WorldPreschool.com, Preschool Learning.

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Since his own entrance into the religion and becoming a chaplain to the Muslims throughout the country and around the world, he encountered many more individuals who were leaders, teachers and scholars, who learned about 'the religion of peace' and entered into it - The reason is always, people are sincerely seeking the truth and are willing to put their different prejudices and biases out of their minds and begin to ask GOD for HIS Guidance in their lives.

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I'm linking you to Darul Arqam, a Converts' Association of Singapore for Yusuf Estes's talk on "Get Involved And Share", when he was in Singapore, last year.

He mentioned of people wanting to get to know Islam, but the followers are projected to rather focus on the "anger management" issues.
In the end, the only people who speaks for Islam are mostly from non-Muslims scholars of the Western scholarly tradition.
GOD Willing, there is change in the approach to some outstanding issues in Singapore which needs greater attention by Muslims, and ALLAH Knows Best.

He carries an important message which Muslim could play a part to reach out their faith to others, so that they could understand the true faith.
It is a different matter of their response.

But with the many distortions and misunderstanding portrayed both by non-Muslims and Muslims too, the need to understand and the knowledge of Islamic teachings, how it should be portrayed, both in practise and in delivering the message, is vital.

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Here, he appeared on Catholic TV on his conversion.

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Sheikh Yusuf Estes (link to his website) suggests the seeker of truth do the following NINE STEPS to purification of the heart:

1-Clean - your mind, your heart and soul - remove all prejudices and biases. 

2-Thank GOD - for what you have - every moment of every day. 

3-Read - a good translation of the meaning of the Noble Quran in a.language.that.they.can.understand.best.

4-Reflect - on the meanings and consider the bounties of GOD. 

5-Seek - Forgiveness from GOD and Learn to Forgive others.

6-Ask - in your heart for Guidance from Above.

7-Open - your heart and mind. 

8-Continue - to do this up for a few months. And be regular in it. 

9-Avoid - the poison of evil while your heart is opening for the "rebirth of your soul." 

Remember - CLEAN; THANK; READ; REFLECT - Then SEEK, and you shall find. 

ASK, and it shall be given. 

KNOCK, and.it.shall be opened.

Then CONTINUE and AVOID.

The rest is between you and THE ALMIGHTY LORD of the Universe.

If you truly seek HIM, then HE already Knows it and HE will deal with each of us according to our hearts.

Source: Articles Base - September 25, 2010

Teacher's Day And Singapore Education

September 1,  Singapore Teachers' Day,  an official school holiday with celebration a day earlier.

Neither Singapore nor Malaysia appreciate their teachers on the actual World Teacher’s Day which is celebrated across the world (?) on September 5. Since the importance of teachers has been recognized by UNESCO, World Teacher’s Day has been celebrated annually.

Malaysia celebrate their teachers on May 16th.
This date was chosen because on the same day in 1956, the Federal Legislative Council of the Federation of Malaya endorsed the Razak Report, who was Education Minister at the time, one of four reports of the Education Committee regarding education in Malaysia.
Although Teachers Day is not an official school holiday, celebrations are usually held on May 16, or earlier.

To my knowledge, only India celebrates its teachers on the World's Teacher's Day.
The date coincides with the birthday of the second President of India, academic philosopher  Dr Sarvepalli Radhakrishnan
It is considered a "celebration" day, where teachers and students report to school but classes are replaced by activities of celebration, thanks and remembrance.
At some schools on this day, the responsibility of teaching is taken up by the senior students to show appreciation for their teachers.

Happy Teacher's Day to all teachers, and everybody out there.
Yes, everybody!
In one way or another or in our own unique ways, we are teachers too, to our family and friends, relatives and neighbours, and society at large.
Teachers are celebrated for their special contribution in a particular field area or the community in general.

Although  education system in Singapore  is ranked fourth in the world by  Newsweek  after Finland, South Korea and Canada, in the recent  National Day Rally 2010,  Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong still emphasised the importance of education to give our young the best chance in life, instill the right values and sense of national identity as well as prepare them to compete in a globalised world.
Singapore has given its students a strong foundation and makes them effectively bilingual. Nevertheless the Government will do more to help each child with different interests, academic inclinations and aptitudes to achieve his or her potential: Nurturing all-rounded students in the primary level, widening and enhancing the range of options and pathways offered by secondary schools, enhancing the polytechnic route and the creation of University Town, the like of Cambridge and Oxford.

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I was too lulled away with Teacher's Day that I've forgotten the very basic - To Write Good English.

Yes, precisely why this blog is created - polishing my rustier English with each passing day.
Honestly, My Husband laughed at my bad language usage that he rarely read what was written.

This campaign and the timing could not be more than right!

The Speak Good English movement encourages Singaporeans to broaden the environment where Standard English is spoken. -- PHOTO: STOMP

Get It Right!
This year's  Speak Good English Movement campaign wants Singaporeans to try and use English correctly when they speak English.
It encourages Singaporeans to broaden the environment where  Standard English  is spoken and heard in Singapore.
The campaign hopes to expose Singaporeans who are weak in the language to good English and to be immersed in it, teaching them to learn by example.
Not just for Singaporeans who are trying to improve their English, those who are proficient in English are encouraged to join in as well to collectively and consciously raise the standard of the English language in Singapore.
Hence, the new tagline, 'Get It Right!'
The movement is providing an Activist Toolkit which includes sticky notes, stickers and notebooks to encourage users to correct English errors they see in their daily lives.
Minister for Community Development, Youth and Sports, Vivian Balakrishnan will launch The Speak Good English Movement on Sept 7. - The Straits Times.

The Maid Story - Tale Of A Runaway Maid

Maid In Singapore

"Bu, saya mau ikut Ibu." An Indonesian girl talked to Me.
She seemed to shield herself behind the bus-stop. 

"Tapi saya mau ke rumah sakit." I told her. 

"Ke mana juga saya mau ikut. Nanti saya mau ikut Ibu pulang. Tolong Bu." She pleaded. 

"Mana mungkin. Saya tinggal diMalaysia. Harus guna passport." I reasoned to her. 

"Enggak apa-apa. Saya jalan betul-betul belakang Ibu. Enggak dilihat orang." She assured Me.

News of a missing China girl, Huang Na, came fresh to My mind.
It's everywhere - In the dailies, tv, radio and posters were hand out in search of her.
She was killed and stuffed in a box.
The killer sneaked back to his home-town in Malaysia.
Since then, security at the Woodlands Checkpoint was stepped up and the man was finally hanged.

Will this Indonesian girl create headlines for Me?

The bus to the MRT (Mass Rapid Transport) station arrived.
I boarded and she tailed Me closely, without being asked.

Once inside the MRT, I asked what makes her run away from her employer - Her answer did not shock Me - Language barrier is always the case when dishonest agencies back home were involved.
Resume in the paper is no more than just written words.

She did not understand a single English-word spoken by her employer.
Whatever it's been said, she responded with a nod,
"Yes, maam", or a shake of her head "No, maam".

So, getting the daily scoldings had pushed her to take this drastic action.

Knowing her Singapore agency was somewhere in Toa Payoh, I thought of accompanying her back to the place.
She refused to alight and kept a distant from Me when the destination was announced.

She came back to me when the train started moving again.
It was heading the city.
This time, I did not tell her where I'll bring her to.
Half of My sympathy was gone.

I called My Sister to cancel my visit with her to the hospital.
I had more urgent matter to attend.
Settle this maid who suddenly becomes a liability.

I was on My way to Wisma Indonesia when she said she had not eaten the whole day.
It was almost 6pm.
She was at the bus stop since 6.30am, and I met her at 3.30pm.
I brought her to Burger King.
Yes - She ate hungrily.
I ordered another set meal for her.

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Nearing the Indonesian Embassy, she hold Me tight.
Refused to let Me go.
She pleaded and cried.

She wanted to go to Malaysia.
She used to work in a factory in Johor Bahru.
She produced her friends' addresses and phone numbers.
She wanted to be with them at Ulu Tiram.
She wanted to work in JB again.
Big money did not matter to her anymore.

Just then, she remembered having a male former colleague's number.
She called and asked him to bring her to their former working place.

We waited for him at the bus-stop where she first spotted me, at Admiralty Road.
The Malaysian man was on his way to work his graveyard shift.
He promised to pick her up at 7.30am the next day.

I was forced into the circumstance.
Much as I was reluctant to help, I do not like the idea of her following the man.
Thought of a police call was dismissed after seeing the frightening reactions in her, to actions I was about to take.

I have to see her friends.
I assured her, I will.

Heading towards the nearest mosque, An-Nur, I insisted on her taking a rest inside it.
It was after 9pm and the mosque will be locked at 10pm.
With the excuse that I will have to wait for My Husband outside the gate, she followed My advice.

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Convinced that she was finally resting, I hurried to my waiting Husband across the Johor Bahru Causeway.
We went straight to the given address.
After meeting her friends, I asked them to help her.

What can they do?
They did not have her number and they were not allowed to leave Malaysia.

At that point, I realised her case was already over.
Nobody is allowed to stay inside a mosque after 10pm without prior permission.
Even if she was to stay up at the bus stop, she will be picked up by the patrolling policemen.
After all, looking at my watch, it was nearing 1am.

Did she betray her employer?
Being naive led her to face the ordeal all by herself.

To the poor girl whom has made the agency back home richer, may she be in good hand now.

Until today, I do not know her name.