The Maid - Unholy Acts In The Holiest Place (10)

Runaway Maids Eating Into Family Budgets  
By RIMA AL-MUKHTAR 

JEDDAH: There are many reports of housemaids being abused or beaten, and occasionally even murdered. However, there is another side to the story.
The large number of housemaids running away from their employers is causing untold problems, including social embarrassments and additional financial burdens for many Saudi families.
“It costs a lot to recruit a housemaid, with fees that go up to SR15,000. This includes recruitment fees, plane ticket and visa,” said Abu Faisal, a recruitment office manager in Jeddah. “If the maid runs away, the employer loses all the money he spent hiring her.”
Maids run away for several reasons, but they are mostly greedy and search for jobs in other households to make more money, according to Abu Faisal.
“Many maids run away from their sponsors as soon as they land in the Kingdom, knowing that they will find a job no matter what, for people are always looking for maids,” he said.
“They know this and plan to run away before even arriving here. Sometimes they arrange it with their friends to guarantee them a better salary,” he added.
“They just need someone to recruit them and pay for their visa and ticket, and once they are here they start looking for jobs with better wages,” said Abu Faisal.
Runaway maids accuse their previous employers of abuse and mistreatment. “My Indonesian maid once told me that her friend was looking for work. I asked her to bring her by so that I could hire her to work for me. Once she came I asked about her previous job and why she left, and that’s when she said that her sponsor used to deprive her of food and did not pay her for her work,” said Moneera Al-Qahtani, housewife and mother.
“When she told me the name of her sponsor I knew she was lying, because it turned out to be my cousin, and later I found out that she worked for him for only two days before she ran away,” Al-Qahtani added.
Frustrated employers are no longer recruiting from outside the Kingdom, but look for help from within.  “I will no longer pay so much money, knowing that my maid might run away and cost me even more. For years now I have been asking my friends and family to bring me maids. I don’t care if they are illegal or don’t have iqama, I only care that my house is clean and my maid does not cost me more than SR1,000 a month,” said Nahed Ibraheem, a working woman.
“I have bad experiences with maids running away even if they are treated like my own daughters. I don’t know why they have the urge to leave suddenly, even when I tell them that I would never hold them if they wanted to go. They just have to tell me in advance so I can arrange for another one,” she added.
At least some employers see maids as a threat to their safety and private life.
“Everyone in the Kingdom looks at us as if we are spoiled and vulgar, for they think our maids are running away because we abuse them and do not provide them with food. They don’t want to admit that we are the people who are suffering, because we are letting complete strangers inside our houses to look into our drawers,” said Kholoud Badr, a high school teacher.
“After years I found out that my maid was a part time prostitute, offering her services to drivers in our neighborhood. This freaked me out because I have two young daughters, and it’s not safe for them to stay at home alone. My question is this: How can you make sure that your maid is not a psychopath or a murderer? We don’t think about these things; we only care about the service,” she added.
Police only arrest maids who are accused of a crime, not runaways, said First Lt. Nawaf Al-Bouq, spokesman for Jeddah police.
“According to the regulations, policemen are not allowed to get involved in the search of maids who run away from their sponsors. We only interfere when the employer accuses his maid of robbery or any criminal act,” he said. “We then liaise with the Passport Department to join forces and search for the suspect.”
All attempts to get a response from the Passport Department failed.

Source: Arab News - April 22, 2011

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Some maids run away because they miss their children after minding their employers' kids.

Not to deter runaway maids, personal bond among employers and employees need to to be cultivated.

It was said that no less than 50 housemaids abandon their Saudi employers every month.

Some maids, coming from remote places, were not train to work, thus were unable to operate electrical appliances.

They are unable to perform basic jobs like handling electrical appliances and so make mistakes, something that angers their employers resulting in beatings and torture.

The housemaids then either run away or the sponsor tries to get rid of them.

Most of these women who are from the rural areas, they do not know how to use modern gadgets.

Breaking or mishandling them will be rewarded with scoldings and beatings by their employers.

More domestic workers are expected to run away from their employers before and after the month of Ramadhan.

The big workload during the Ramadhan season drives many of these maids to leave their employment.

Work period starts from dawn to past midnight until the following morning.

Although it is not only illegal, but also a violation of human rights, many Saudi families loan their housemaids and other household helps, to extended members of their families during Ramadan.

This is an encouraged reason for the runaway.

Those with great intention to run away during Ramadhan but was unable to, will do so after the season.

Some housemaids run away due to unpaid wages or delay in salaries.

Thus it adds up to losing situation that claims Saudi families lose more than SR500 million a year because of these domestic workers who run away.

Runaway maids had become a phenomenon.

But those maids who came to the country on maid visas specifically to elope with their suitors, led to much to much chagrin to their employers who had paid much money to process the paperwork to get the maid to the Kingdom.

A maid who had worked for four years in Saudi Arabia told Me of her friend who was enticed by a family driver to abandon her employer, only to have herself rape and kept by this driver, without the employer knew of her whereabout.

She was kept in an isolated place, with all contacts cutoff.

Lately, there are reports of Saudi police busting prostitution ring involving Asian housemaids who fled from their employers.

Some runaway maids were then recruited by agencies that are accredited by the Saudi government, and some others were outsourced into the black labour market.

Some were offered an alternative family, but were charged commission.

Both employers and employees were charged fees. 

Read On...

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From Frying Pan To Fire Runaway Maids End Up In Harsher Conditions

JEDDAH: Housemaids who flee their sponsors due to bad working conditions to seek work in the black labor market often end up in a situation of jumping out of the frying pan and into the fire.
In many cases they find themselves at the mercy of sleazy labor brokers who send them to work illegally in conditions that are little different from the legal situations, and often much worse. 
“They seize our IDs, lock us up in secluded rooms and make us live in very difficult conditions, which is no less than indentured servitude,” a maid told Arab News on condition she not be named.
Nuriyyah, an Indonesian maid who has been working for two years in Saudi Arabia, describes the situation she found herself in as “slavery” after being legally recruited and brought to the Kingdom. The wage she ended up receiving was not enough to feed her family back home.
“My sponsor often delayed my payment under the pretext that he had other pressing commitments,” she said. “I had no other choice but to flee.”
Nuriyyah said she lived in a small apartment after her escape with a large number of illegal housemaids who came for Haj or Umrah and overstayed their pilgrimage visas.  She said the man who ran the house essentially acted as an illegal-labor broker.
But what Nuriyyah discovered is that people who hire maids illegally often end up being worse than employers who seek workers through legal channels and at greater expense.  “The new employer and his wife used to beat and humiliate me all the time,” she said. “They also took my iqama. I served them for my food only.”
The maid says she has never been paid for her work. Eventually she fled her illegal employers. She ended up under the Sitteen Bridge, a congregation point for foreign laborers who have fled their sponsors in the hope they will be picked up by the police and deported.
Another Indonesian maid, who did not want to be named, said though she had been an adventurer all her life and would work hard to earn money, she had fears that she might fall victim to inhuman practices on the hands of her new employers.
“I now live in a small house with a large number of illegal African and Asian housemaids,” she said. “The brokers who distribute us among their customers do not care much for what will happen to us. They are only after money.”
She added that she was living in very difficult conditions in this house but her need for money would force her to continue.
The unidentified Indonesian housemaid said she witnessed her co-workers being beaten by merciless employers who know that illegal domestic servants are essentially hostages with few choices.
“Many housemaids had similar experiences but were finally able to make some money and go back home. In order to succeed, you have to take chances,” she said.
Commenting on the issue, spokesman for Jeddah police Col. Misfer Al-Juaid said many of the houses that accommodate runaway maids are found in the districts of Al-Bawadi, Ghulail and Kandara.
“We carry out weekly raids on such houses after identifying them,” he said. “We arrest the illegal residents, take their fingerprints before handing them over to the Passport Department for deportation.”
After these workers end up in the custody of Saudi immigration authorities, a long process for exit clearance takes place. Often these workers have no ID because their passports are with the employers from whom they fled. Saudi authorities must work with foreign missions to establish identities and check for criminal backgrounds before they can be sent home. 
Al-Juaid pointed out that an illegal worker can be exposed to more abuse than legal workers, because sponsors are aware that there is little recourse for reporting or challenging abusive situations. “The illegal housemaids bear all these inhuman treatment in order not to be caught by the passport police and sent back home,” he added.
The most common form of maid abuse is not paying salaries, followed by physical and sexual abuse. The Saudi authorities do not offer statistics of the number of abuse cases reported to them, but the problem is acute enough that labor rights activists and foreign missions – especially of Indonesia and the Philippines – maintain shelters for fleeing maids, especially women.
Supervisor of the National Society for Human Rights in Makkah province Hussain Al-Sharif described violence against housemaids as inhuman and un-Islamic.
“Just because they are paying them money, some employers will come to believe that they literally own their housemaids and they have the right to ask them to do anything,” he said.
Al-Sharif agreed with Al-Juaid, saying that illegal workers face a greater chance of being abused with impunity.
“Violence against housemaids, whether they are legal or illegal stayers, is inhuman and totally against Islam,” he added. “We completely reject such practices and deplore exploitation of any human being.”
Al-Sharif asked all employers to consider the pressing conditions that drove the housemaids to come all they way from their countries in the first place. The main reason is remittances, the money they can save up to send home to feed their children or other family members. Not paying a maid could mean a child back home goes without food, clothing or medicines.

Source: A1 Saudi Arabia - January 12, 2011

The Maid - Squeezing Dry The Employers (4)

Maid Via The Black Market

KUALA LUMPUR – Freelance recruitment agents are making big bucks by supplying maids to Malaysian employers through the 'black market.'
A probe by national daily The Star showed that the continuing high demand for Indonesian domestic helpers, despite a temporary ban in place, has created this lucrative, albeit illegal,  recruitment of maids.
Most pf the people involved are freelance individuals - who dubbeed themselves as agents - who have contact with similar kind of people in Indonesia.
Both parties are not tied to any associations in their respective countries.
Therefore, they can supply maids “under the radar” despite the supply freeze imposed nearly a year ago by the Indonesian government.
Hefty increase in recruitment fee
One 'agent' here told the paper that business had been good despite a hefty increase in the recruitment fee.
Before the freeze, the recruitment fee charged by an agency was about RM5,000, inclusive of payments for levy, work permit, airfare and six months' salary.
Now, the fee can go as high as RM10,000.
An executive from Bukit Mertajam said it was difficult to raise RM9,400 for the agent but she was desperate to get help to look after her mother.
The woman, who gave her name only as Tan, said the agent agreed to get a maid from Indonesia provided she (Tan) personally applies to the Immigration Department for a one-year calling visa to allow the helper to work here.
Discussion between PM and Susilo
It is learnt that a high-level meeting held last Friday between the Home Ministry and Indonesia's Manpower and Transmigration Ministry finally broke the impasse on the issue between the two countries.
A memorandum of understanding on maids is expected to be signed during the visit here of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono.
The signing will be witnessed by the Indonesian president and Prime Minister Najib Abdul Razak after their retreat on Tuesday.— Malaysian Mirror.

Source: Malaysian Mirror - Monday, May 17, 2010  

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I was approached by a number of friends in JB who asked me to get maids, or helpers from Batam, as I often visit the place. 

Sad it seem, the shortage of maids really affect normalcy in some households I know. 

I know of Indonesians from faraway, stationing themselves in Batam, hoping to work in country across it.

Ironically, I was approached by a number of Indonesians in Batam who made their wish known to Me. 

They wanted My help. 

They wanted to work, any type of work available, in Singapore (???) 

I was even approached by someone who was prepared to provide rotating female house helpers, again, to work in Singapore. 

When I mentioned of knowing many households in JB that need helpers, they were not keen, as they work for money, and they go after the exchange rate. 

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Indonesian Women Slaves Saved from Malaysian Hell

Kuala Lumpur. Malaysian authorities rescued 71 Indonesian women who claimed they were forced to work long hours as cleaners without pay for at least two years, an official said Monday.

Immigration officials raided a house where the women were staying after three of them fled and alerted authorities, said Nar Azaman Ibrahim, the immigration enforcement chief of Malaysia’s northern Kedah state. The women were kept at the house and sent to different homes for daily cleaning jobs.

The women entered neighboring Malaysia through a migrant worker recruitment agent who promised to find them work as maids for 500 ringgit ($160) a month. But when they arrived, the man took away their passports and forced them to clean homes every day without any time off, Nar Azaman said.

Most of the women, including one as young as 17, had never been paid, but were promised they would receive money eventually, Nar Azaman said.

The man who held them has been arrested and could be charged with human trafficking, an offense that carries a maximum prison term of 15 years.

The women are now at a shelter in an illegal migrant detention center near Kuala Lumpur.

Nearly 2 million foreigners, mostly from poorer regional countries, work in Malaysia’s construction, plantation, manufacturing and service industries. Claims of overwork, unpaid salaries and sometimes even physical abuse are common. - Associated Press.

Source: The Jakarta Globe - July 26, 2010

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Safi invited us to her house-warming.  

When we reached Safi's house, I could see that Zah was reluctant to leave the car. 

Tears trickled from her eyes. 

I was happy for Safi. 

She got the resale corner-lot house, with mango tree loaded of ready-to-eat, ready-to-pluck fruits.

The house is strategically located not far from Giant Supermarket and other amenities, at a great bargain price, less than RM200,000. 

Wasn't Zah happy for Safi too?  

I had it all wrong, she said. 

She was happy for Safi, but was terribly hurt by the previous owner of the house. 

Zah used to drop by that particular house. 

The previous owner,who owns a maid agency, used to be her good friend for many, many years. 

Naturally, she turned to her this good friend for maids. 

She never failed her, not until the last time, about a year ago. 

After she gave her a deposit of RM3,000 for a new maid, after a three months lapse, she called her, no answer. 

She dropped by her place, nobody at home. 

She did not want to lose a valued friendship at the cost of only RM3,000. 

Now, after slightly more than a year, Zah is still without maid. 

She asked Me to help her getting one in Batam, but I have not the heart to tell her that they will work anytime if it is Singapore.

I asked her to tag with Me along to Batam.

I  promised her I'll get help from friend over there to bring us to the place where maid agency placed their potential house-helpers.  

But Zah would still prefer her good friend where agency is concerned. 

Such a loyal friend! 

She knew her friend is in great difficulties, especially at the time when Indonesian maids' entry to Malaysia is still pending.

When Zah knew that Safi bought the house she used to spend her evenings, her heart thumped aloud. 

The maid agency owner knew Zah is looking for a house very badly. 

And, Zah had umpteenth times told her, should she intended to sell her house, Zah is the first ready buyer.

Instead, she sold it to Zah's other good friend, which she wasn't aware of.

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Good Help Is Harder To Find 
By JOSEPH LOH  

Malaysians are grousing that hiring foreign maids these days is more costly and time-consuming, and recruitment agencies say the situation may well continue if certain problems in the industry are not addressed.
WHEN work commitments for Tan S.K. and his wife demanded more of their time, it left them less for domestic matters. He then decided to hire a foreign maid to help with chores around the house and to look after his two young children.
He soon discovered that hiring a foreign maid could be a frustrating process. The time needed before they could get the maid was lengthy, not to mention the initial cost involved.

Feeling at home: Although other countries pay better salaries, Indonesian maids are more comfortable working in Malaysia as there is no language barrier and they are free to practise their religion.

“From the time that I approached a maid agency to actually getting one took six months. I also had to fork out about RM7,500 even before I saw her in person.
“Furthermore, the maid was unsuitable and we requested a replacement — and we had to go through the whole process again. Fortunately, it only took about three months the second time,” Tan says.
This meant it took nine months before he had a live-in maid. With all the hassle he had to go through — not to mention the addition of another person to the household — Tan has decided not to hire another when the current contract expires.
“I don’t know how much a maid is going to cost me in future, and with what I have gone through, I don’t feel it is worth the hassle. I will probably look for part-time maid services then.”
Tan’s experience is one that is becoming increasingly common, but this is a situation that has been developing over the last five years.
According to Malaysian Association Of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan, the most obvious reason is there is a shortage of maids from Indonesia, where Malaysia obtains about 95% of its maids.
“We are not only facing a shortage but an acute shortage! It is very serious, and our business has dropped by about 60%,” he says, adding that the situation worsened considerably over the last two years.
Raja Zulkepley informs that maids from other countries such as Cambodia and the Philippines are allowed, but the popular choice is Indonesia mainly because of lower wages lower compared to other countries.
“Malaysians prefer Indonesians as they are very good. They suit the job demands here, and communication is less of a problem,” he says.

"The salary is in line with the cost of living here"- FIONA LOW

Unpopular choice
Potential employers may find difficulty in obtaining a maid, but those facing bigger pressure are the maid agencies themselves. Describes Agensi Pekerjaan Sentosa SB director K.C. Lau, “The last two years were particularly bad, but from the end of 2004, we could feel it was getting difficult. This could be because Hong Kong and Taiwan opened up to hiring foreign maids.
“I have much difficulty meeting my target – it was a lot easier before. I could easily obtain 20 to 30 maids from each supplier back then, but can only get about four or five now.”
Lam*, from a KL-based agency, says her recruitment has reduced by 40%.
“Three years ago, I could obtain 500 maids a month, now it is less than 300,” she says, adding that many smaller agencies have stopped operating or want to sell their licences.
Agensi Pekerjaan Sri Nadin Sdn Bhd general manager Fiona Low, however, believes there is no shortage of potential maids in Indonesia. “People there know how to compare (between countries) and can choose where they want to go, and this affects the volume coming in.”
Raja Zulkepley believes there are many reasons why the supply of maids from Indonesia is dwindling. One is that the maids themselves, and the recruitment agencies, prefer other countries.
It essentially boils down to a matter of dollars and cents. Other countries pay higher salaries than Malaysia, he says. For example, maids in Taiwan are paid about RM2,400 a month; Hong Kong, RM1,700; Singapore and the Middle East, RM800. In Malaysia they are paid about RM600.
But Low believes that this should not be a factor. “The salary is what we (Malaysians) can offer at the moment, and it is in line with the cost of living here. You cannot compare this with other countries.”
She adds, “Not all maids are looking at the prospect of money — it is to do with their comfort level. Malaysia is still one of the nearest countries, has the same religion, and some may also have relatives here.”
Lam disagrees, insisting that the wage disparity cannot be ignored.
“Wages here are very low compared to other countries. If you were a maid, where would you want to go?”
Furthermore, there is a difference in which party has to pay for getting the maid into the country.
Says Lau, “Under the Malaysian system, both employer and maid have to pay (respective agencies) money, but in the Middle East, the employer pays everything. The maids just go there to work. Most have to take a loan to come to Malaysia, but not so for the Middle East.”
Lam adds that for countries like Taiwan, maids are even willing to pay recruiters for the opportunity to work there.
Question of cost
Another point is that maid suppliers in Indonesia are paid higher agency fees by other countries compared to Malaysia, reveals Lau.
“Other countries are giving higher agency fees, so in order to be competitive, we have to give higher fees too. From the year 2005, it has almost doubled. Last time, we paid about RM3,000 for each maid. Now it is about RM5,000 to RM6,000,” he says.
Adds Low, “This is a free market and (trade) depends on a willing buyer and seller. If somebody has a better offer, you will have to pay more than usual.”
A common complaint among employers is the high cost involved in obtaining a maid from Indonesia. Currently, one has to pay at least RM7,500.
“People always put the blame on local maid agencies, and say we are making excess profits, but this is something beyond our control,” says Raja Zulkepley.
The actual cost is significantly less, Low says. “Actually, employers only pay about RM4,500 to get a maid.”
She explains that in most instances, the maid will not have to be paid for the first six months.
“The additional sum is a loan of sorts that employers give to the maid,” she says, adding that this is usually used to pay for miscellaneous expenses such as travel and training received in Indonesia.
Negative perception
Another factor is that Malaysia is perceived by some as a bad country to work in.
“The reputation of Malaysia is very bad,” says Raja Zulkepley. One reason for this is abuse cases in Malaysia are excessively highlighted in the press.
“There are also similar cases of abuse in Singapore, Taiwan, or the Middle East, for example, but they are not played up as much, so they think that Malaysia is not a good country,” he says.
Lam agrees, saying: “In Malaysia, it will be in the news for a few weeks and then we forget about it. But it is different in Indonesia; it can drag on for months!”
This is compounded by the fact that significant numbers of Indonesians are working illegally in the country.
“Because of this they are not protected and many are not treated fairly by employers — ranging from not getting paid to being abused. When these girls go home, they spread the word,” says Raja Zulkepley.
On the time span involved in getting a maid, Raja Zulkeply says it takes a long time to complete the procedure before maids can work in the country.
“Bringing foreign maids into our country will incur a lot of red tape. Sometimes it can take as long as two to three months,” he explains, adding that in this time, suppliers incur the cost of providing for the maids’ board and lodging.
He gives the example of Singapore, where approvals can be obtained within two or three days. For the Middle East, block visas are provided, with specific individual visas given upon arrival.
Lam points out a loophole where employers can send maids home without informing the agency.
“This can give rise to many problems such as abuse, rape or unpaid salaries. The employer can send them home and agencies or the Government won’t know anything about it. If they have to go through the agency there will be better control.”
Raja Zulkepley believes that Papa can play a significant role in streamlining the industry. “In order to become more efficient, all Malaysian maid agencies must be members of Papa. This was actually approved by the Immigration Department in June 2007, but has never been enforced.”
New source countries
One major benefit, he says, is that as a united front, it can get better rates from the suppliers. He says that Papa has also called for the reduction of the minimum age of incoming Indonesian maids from 21 to 18 in addition to calling for new source countries — China in particular.
But until then, local maid agencies have to work within existing constraints.
Says Lau, “Fortunately, our profits are about the same, but capital investment has gone up considerably. We could make one Ringgit for every two spent before, but now we need four! And who wants to raise their prices? This is bad for business! If we keep it low, everyone can afford a maid.”
Low believes the difficulty in obtaining maids will remain as the status quo.
“It is already like this. We hope that people will understand the difficulties and be more tolerant.”
Concludes Lam, “The cost of recruiting maids rose faster than the price of petrol! Many things in the industry are out of our control, and keep in mind that we are dealing with humans, not products. This line of work is very difficult, and I am tired and find it very hard to continue. We may have been able to make good money last time, but not any more.”
* Name has been changed.

Source: The Star - Sunday, January 11, 2009

The Maid - Squeezing Dry The Employers (2)

Distressed Bosses Want Laws To Protect Their Interests

PETALING JAYA: Distressed employers are seeking protection against fraudulent agencies and runaway maids.
Having lost large amounts of money to agencies that draw up lopsided contracts, the employers are hoping new regulations will be put in place to safeguard their interests.
An employer who only wanted to be known as Alan, 39, said he paid an agency RM11,500 for an Indonesian maid.
“We got a complete lunatic who carried a knife around with her,” he said, adding that the maid stole money, jewellery and his children’s clothes to send to her own family.
“She threatened us with the knife when we confronted her,” he said, adding that the agency refused to give him a refund when he sent her back.
College lecturer S. Kumaran, 40, from Klang, lost RM6,000 in downpayment to a maid agency after their Sri Lankan maid left after just three months.
“She worked for exactly three months before suddenly claiming that her daughter was sick and that she had to go back to her country immediately,” he said.
Junaidah Ramadan, 52, said an agency collected RM7,000 from her before sending her a maid with a health problem.
“She could hardly walk, let alone do much work as she would experience severe pains in her joints,” Junaidah said, She added that the maid would often sit around and cry.
“The agency insisted that we pay half the original amount for a new maid, knowing that if we went to another agency, we would have to come up with another RM7,000,” she said.
An employer called Aileen lost her RM9,000 downpayment when her maid ran away after four months.
“The agencies make up their own rules that work to their benefit,” she said.
Bar Council chairman Ragunath Kesavan urged employers to lodge a complaint with the Human Resource Ministry or the Consumer Claims Tribunal if they suspected foul play by maid agencies.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty said maid agencies would be blacklisted if they would not provide a replacement if a maid ran away within the first three months.

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Desperate Employers Paying High Prices For Temporary Maids 
Stories by MUGUTAN VANAR, P. ARUNA and REENA NATHAN

PETALING JAYA: Maid agencies are cashing in on the shortage of domestic helpers in the country by charging desperate employers up to RM1,500 monthly for temporary maids.
The employers are paying a high price for these “temps,” who are hired for a few months before being “rotated” by the agency to other households.
With people willing to pay up to RM1,500 per month for such a temp, it is estimated that agencies are raking in up to RM18,000 each year for every maid under them.
Under the temp system, which is illegal, the employers will fork out the payment to the agencies, who would then pay the maids low wages and pocket the rest.
To fulfil the supply of maids as temps and due to the continued freeze by the Indonesian government, it is believed that the agencies are “recycling” those who have run away from their employers.
The growing practice was exposed by employers, who confessed to having paid large sums of money for these temps.
An employer from Kuala Lumpur, who declined to be named, said he was paying a registered agency RM1,500 per month for a temporary Cambodian maid.
“The agency told us she was a ‘rejected’ maid and we agreed to take her on because we were desperate for help and she was available immediately,” he said.
He said when the agency first informed them of the availability of a temp, his wife went to pick her up only to be told that she had already been hired to another household.
“We were told to come back after two days as these temps were in high demand,” he said.
Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty said it had received several reports of agencies supplying such temps and had sent letters demanding for an explanation.
“It is illegal and we will take action against any agency providing such services,” he said.
Alwi said maids were brought into the country only to work for specific employers and that the transfer of a maid to another employer could only be carried out once with approval from the Immigration Department and the first employer.
“If the second employer returns the maid to the agency, she has to be sent back to her country immediately,” he said, adding that there were many unregistered agencies getting maids through illegal means and offering them as temps.
Employers are also caught in the dilemma because the illegality of the temp system and the lack of documentation from the agencies mean that they cannot even file an official complaint if they are dissatisfied with the work.

Both Sources: The Star - Sunday, January 16, 2011

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Indonesian maid was hired by Ms Wee five months ago.

Deposit of RM5,000 was paid, with a promise that processing will be 2 to 3 months.

If not, Ms Wee has the right to cancel the contract with full refund.

Exactly three months later, the salesperson of the maid agency which Ms Wee approached, called to inform that the maid is not coming to Malaysia.

Since the promised time frame had elapse, Ms Wee requested for a temporary helper but was turned down by the agency.

She was asked to choose a new biodata of her another choosen maid.

A month later, there was no news from the agency.

So, Ms Wee called to ask the latest development of the date when the chosen maid supposed to arrive, or she insisted on being provided with a temporary helper.

The salesperson assured her the temporary helper is ready for her.

Two days later, when she appeared at the maid agency's office to take home the helper, she had a shock of her life.

She was to pay an additional RM6,500.

Frustrated, she asked for the full refund promised to her.

She was sent an email. 

Refund was RM1,000 less minus miscellaneous expenses...

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Eve engaged a maid agency a year ago, as her then existing maid wanted to go back to Indonesia. 

She was promised of a new maid within 3 months after payment was made.

A trusting person, she believed what was promised by the agency.

Taking their words, she terminated the existing Maid’s visa on the promised month when the new maid is supposed to arrive.

She bought a flight ticket home for her existing maid too.

A month lapse, there was no sight of the new maid.

The exisitng maid is ready to fly home.

She went to the immigration, did not mind the penalty, and pleaded the immigration officer to renew the existing maid’s visa.

The maid agency once again promised Eve her new maid will be arriving in another month's time.

Again, she terminated her maid's visa and again, purchased air ticket for the second time for her maid to return home. 

The whole promised month, for thirty days, Eve waited for the new maid. 

Once again, she was no where in sight. 

The immigration refuse to renew the visa of her existing maid the second time. 

Since the promised maid did not appear, Eve was provided with a temporary maid. 

That was when her house was robbed. 

The maid who was sleeping in her room downstairs, did not hear any commotion when the house was entered into. 

Eve felt cheated, send back the temporary maid, and asked for the return of her deposit. 

They took another 4 months to return the money, minus the temporary maid’s salary, which is double the permanent maid...

******

NO-SHOW HOUSEMAID
Submitted by pekwan

Couple Upset Over Partial Refund For Fruitless Wait
NADIRAH H. RODZI Joseph Kaos Jr

AMRAN and his wife have had a torrid time dealing with an employment agency to apply for a domestic worker.
In September, the couple approached Agensi Pekerjaan Sri Nadin Sdn Bhd in Kuala Lumpur to get an Indonesian maid.
After paying a downpayment of RM2,450 to the agency, the couple was told that the application would be processed after the Hari Raya break, as its Indonesian counterpart would also be closed for the holiday.
A month later, in October, after not getting any news, AMRAN contacted the agency. He was shocked to learn that the agency had yet to receive any document from its Indonesian counterpart because the candidate for the job had not confirmed her impending employment.
Not wanting to wait any longer, AMRAN and wife agreed to select a different candidate. They were promised that the application would be processed, and the maid should arrive in Malaysia by December.
When there was no word from the agency, AMRAN gave them another call.
"Imagine my surprise when I was informed that the maid had not arrived and gave me the same reason as the first candidate, in that the agency had not received her documents from Indonesia.
"I felt that if the agency in Indonesia was ineffective, they should stop using its services, and they should have the courtesy to inform us, and not let us wait here anxiously."
Fed up of the fruitless long wait, AMRAN requested the agency to return the RM2,450-deposit to him.
He was shocked when the agency told him that RM300 would be deducted from the deposit as "administration fees".
AMRAN disagreed and demanded a full refund, but when he eventually received the cheque, the RM300 was still deducted from the full amount.
"The agency highlighted to me a clause in the agency and employer’s agreement that RM300 would be deducted from my deposit in the event that I decided not to proceed with the employment of the maid from their agency.
"I disagreed because no maid was provided to us to begin with. They didn’t fulfill the job that we trusted them to do. How can they charge me RM300 for this?"
AMRAN and his wife insist that they get back their RM300 from the agency.
● When contacted, an Agensi Pekerjaan Sri Nadin manager reiterates the reason for AMRAN not getting his RM300 back.
"It is mentioned in Clause 4.4 (a) that a sum of RM300 shall be forfeited from the Agency Fee after the execution of the agreement, in the event that the employer decides not to proceed with the employment of the maid.
"The term 'agreement' here means that the employer agrees to appoint the agency's services to find the client a maid. The client had to sign this agreement first before paying the deposit.
"We trust that the client is able to understand the clauses in the agreement.
"The client also cannot say that we didn’t fulfill our job because there was, indeed, work being done to get the maid."
The manager says the client offered a RM550 monthly salary for the maids. "So we believe that this was the reason why the two maids in Indonesia decided not to take up the offer. The normal salary range for Indonesian maids is RM600.
"Since the client decided to stop using our services, we had to return the deposit, but as explained in the agreement, the RM300 had to be deducted." 

Source: Malay Mail - Thursday, December 24th, 2009

The Taxi Story - Shameful Concern

"You need me to pass by Geylang bazaar?"
"Is that way faster?"
"Definitely not at all. Since this's the fasting month, Malays like at least to pass there."
"Oh not me then. I'd prefer less crowded place anytime."
"Every Ramadhan I'll try to avoid Geylang."

"But why? That's the best place to find passengers." I was surprised with the taxi driver's statement whom I'll call James.
This incident happened a few years ago but it's fresh in my mind

"You don't mind I talk about religion?" James was cautious with his words.
"Go ahead. Speak your heart out."
"I'll call you sis, ok?"
"Fine." I had to assure James again.

"Sis, I don't like to see Malays eating openly without any shame at Geylang. Especially those sellers..." James lost his words out of frustration.
"You are a Muslim?" I asked him as he went quiet.
"No. I'm a Christian."
"Thanks for showing concern towards another religion. A very lucky me to know I'm not alone avoiding Geylang for the same reason." I had to lift his spirit.

"Sis, we believe the same prophets."
You believe in Muhammad too?"
"My religion stops at your Isa. You know, even if not fasting month, I don't like to go Block 1."
"That's the market. A lot of people down there. The best port for taxis." I was fishing out for his reaction.
"You see old, old Malay men drink, gamble. The Chinese towkay make their money."

"You don't like the Malays or the Chinese?" Now, I'm lost for words. Feeling ashamed of my own race.

"I don't like their bad characters. Sis, I see you like to go to the mosque."
"Me?" I was surprised with the remarks by James. 
"You came out from the mosque at Admiralty right?"
"Oh, I often dropped by there to see old friends. They gave me porridge for my mother so I've to send to her."

"Sorry if I've offended you with my words.'' James was apologetic.
"Not at all. In fact you are the second Christian to knock sense in me."
"Is that so?" He was elated.

"I'm honest with you. This famous in Marsiling Dr Tong's words still ringing in my ears. He scolded me for not showing my gratitude toward's Allah's gift. He said for the past 30 years I had forgotten to say thank You to Allah for lending me problem free ears. Just a drop of water went into my ear and I started to panic. Allah is reminding me, he said."
That's my first and last visit to Dr Tong.

From then on, I understood why I was the 77th patient on that particular day - Dr Tong treat patients as his own children and he peppered 'advice' from his sincere heart.

"A very fatherly man I think. Sis, we are in Bedok now. The block?"
"Yes, this is."
"Hope to meet you again any time sooner. There's many more things we can share."
"Sure. Thanks." I thanked James as he discounted my fare, and for showing his care towards my race and  my religion.