Sunday, January 31, 2010
Malaysia Hopes Indonesian Maid Issue Can Be Resolved Soon
PENANG, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia hope the meeting of the Working Committee on the Recruitment and Placement of Indonesian Maids in February would be able to resolve some outstanding issues said Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.He added that in the mean time, discussions pertaining to maids, would go on between Malaysia and Indonesia."There are one or two outstanding issues, including the issue of wages and freezing of maids from the country. We hope the issues will be resolved soon," he told reporters after launching the Penang MIC service centre here on Sunday.Subramaniam who is also MIC vice president said Malaysia has also opened job opportunities for those from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Sri Lanka to work as maids."Recently I visited Cambodia and they have a very structured programme for foreign maids, including exposing them to the culture of the respective countries," he said.On June 25 last year, Jakarta had issued a freeze order on maids from the country to Malaysia, following reports of abuse by employers.However, on Sept 2 last year, Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to grant one day leave in a week for maids while they were allowed to keep their own passports when in the country.Currently, about 80 per cent of the 280,000 maids working in Malaysia are from Indonesia.
PENANG, Jan 31 (Bernama) -- Malaysia hope the meeting of the Working Committee on the Recruitment and Placement of Indonesian Maids in February would be able to resolve some outstanding issues said Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam.He added that in the mean time, discussions pertaining to maids, would go on between Malaysia and Indonesia."There are one or two outstanding issues, including the issue of wages and freezing of maids from the country. We hope the issues will be resolved soon," he told reporters after launching the Penang MIC service centre here on Sunday.Subramaniam who is also MIC vice president said Malaysia has also opened job opportunities for those from Myanmar, Thailand, Cambodia and Sri Lanka to work as maids."Recently I visited Cambodia and they have a very structured programme for foreign maids, including exposing them to the culture of the respective countries," he said.On June 25 last year, Jakarta had issued a freeze order on maids from the country to Malaysia, following reports of abuse by employers.However, on Sept 2 last year, Malaysia and Indonesia agreed to grant one day leave in a week for maids while they were allowed to keep their own passports when in the country.Currently, about 80 per cent of the 280,000 maids working in Malaysia are from Indonesia.
Friday, January 29, 2010
Court Told Neighbour Saw Accused Shaving Maid's Hair
SHAH ALAM, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- A witness told the High Court here Friday that she saw A. Murugan, the accused in the murder trial of Indonesian maid Muntik Bani, shaving the victim's hair at the front door of his house in September last year.Tan Siew Choo, 37, whose house is opposite Murugan's house, said she also saw the accused scolding the maid as well as kicked her leg twice."The maid screamed in pain and the accused was in anger when he kicked her," she said when examined by deputy public prosecutor Idham Abd.Ghani.Murugan, 35, a sugar cane juice seller, is charged with committing the offence at house No. 11, Jalan Datuk Yusof Shahbudin 6, Taman Sentosa, Klang between Oct 18 and Oct 20 last year.He has been charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.Muntik, 40, who hailed from Surabaya, died at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang on Oct 26 last year.Tan, who is the 30th witness, said when she first saw Muntik last September, the maid looked good physically, but seemed weak and with bruises when she saw her for the last time, which was a week before Deepavali in October last year.Earlier, 29th witness, V.Rajendran, 47, a neighbour of Muntik's former employer, Puah Hooi Sueew, said he did not hear any scream when Muntik was working with Puah.He said the last time he saw Muntik at Puah's house was between Aug 15 and 16 last year and that the maid looked healthy and had a shoulder length hair.Rajendran disagreed with lawyer V.Rajehgopal, who represented Murugan, that he often went near Puah's house to talk to Muntik and that his wife knew about his relationship with Muntik.He also disagreed with Rajehgopal when the later said that Muntik had complained to him that she was abused by Puah.Hearing before Judicial Commissioner Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on Feb 8.
SHAH ALAM, Jan 29 (Bernama) -- A witness told the High Court here Friday that she saw A. Murugan, the accused in the murder trial of Indonesian maid Muntik Bani, shaving the victim's hair at the front door of his house in September last year.Tan Siew Choo, 37, whose house is opposite Murugan's house, said she also saw the accused scolding the maid as well as kicked her leg twice."The maid screamed in pain and the accused was in anger when he kicked her," she said when examined by deputy public prosecutor Idham Abd.Ghani.Murugan, 35, a sugar cane juice seller, is charged with committing the offence at house No. 11, Jalan Datuk Yusof Shahbudin 6, Taman Sentosa, Klang between Oct 18 and Oct 20 last year.He has been charged under Section 302 of the Penal Code, which carries the mandatory death sentence upon conviction.Muntik, 40, who hailed from Surabaya, died at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang on Oct 26 last year.Tan, who is the 30th witness, said when she first saw Muntik last September, the maid looked good physically, but seemed weak and with bruises when she saw her for the last time, which was a week before Deepavali in October last year.Earlier, 29th witness, V.Rajendran, 47, a neighbour of Muntik's former employer, Puah Hooi Sueew, said he did not hear any scream when Muntik was working with Puah.He said the last time he saw Muntik at Puah's house was between Aug 15 and 16 last year and that the maid looked healthy and had a shoulder length hair.Rajendran disagreed with lawyer V.Rajehgopal, who represented Murugan, that he often went near Puah's house to talk to Muntik and that his wife knew about his relationship with Muntik.He also disagreed with Rajehgopal when the later said that Muntik had complained to him that she was abused by Puah.Hearing before Judicial Commissioner Mohd Yazid Mustafa continues on Feb 8.
Jakarta has since claimed that Indonesian maids, which make up some 85 per cent of Malaysia's 320,000 domestic workers, are not sufficiently protected by labour laws.
Following reports of several other maid abuse cases, Indonesia banned its maids from being sent to Malaysia until steps are taken to protect the workers.
Indonesian maids, who are paid a monthly wage of 500 ringgit (142 dollars) and above, do not have days off and are not permitted to keep their own passports or bank account books.
Malaysia said last month it would set up a task force with Indonesia to look into the grievances of Indonesian maids, and expressed confidence the ban would be lifted in the next few months.
PS : WHERE'S THE FULL STOP
Following reports of several other maid abuse cases, Indonesia banned its maids from being sent to Malaysia until steps are taken to protect the workers.
Indonesian maids, who are paid a monthly wage of 500 ringgit (142 dollars) and above, do not have days off and are not permitted to keep their own passports or bank account books.
Malaysia said last month it would set up a task force with Indonesia to look into the grievances of Indonesian maids, and expressed confidence the ban would be lifted in the next few months.
PS : WHERE'S THE FULL STOP
Tuesday, January 26, 2010
Sunday, January 24, 2010
Saturday, January 23, 2010
Domestic Maid Insurance Scheme (DMIS)
Description
The foreign domestic maid is only permitted to work for the employer at the address as specified in her work permit. Under the Employment of Foreign Workers’ Act, employers can be charged for illegally employing or illegally deploying a foreign domestic maid. The penalty for illegally employing a foreign domestic maid without a valid work permit is a fine up to RM10,000 or 5 years imprisonment OR both fine and imprisonment, and shall also be liable to whipping of not more than six strokes. In addition, the errant employer will be permanently debarred from employing a foreign domestic maid.
Scope of Cover
ACCIDENTAL DEATH
:
RM25,000.00 - In the event of death of the Maid occurring within twelve calendar month of bodily injury due to an accident.
PERMANENT TOTAL DISABLEMENT
:
Up to RM25,000.00 in the event of permanent total disablement occurring within 12 months of the accident. occurring within twelve calendar months of bodily injury due to accident. The percentages are stated in the Permanent Disablement Scale.
MEDICAL EXPENSES
:
Up to RM750.00, reimbursement on the actual, necessary and reasonable medical, hospital or surgical expenses incurred in the treatment of injuries resulting from an accident provided such treatment is received from a qualified medical practitioner or whilst confined in a government or licensed private hospital. The company will not pay for the first RM50.00 for each and every claim under this benefit.
REPATRIATION EXPENSES
:
The repatriation expenses shall be the actual expenses incurred or RM5.000.00 whichever is the lesser, for the transportation of the Maid to her country of origin in the event she dies or suffers permanent total disablement.
HOSPITAL & SURGICAL EXPENSES
:
Up to RM3,000.00 - The company will pay the expenses in respect of hospital medical or surgical nursing home and nursing fees and charges necessarily incurred as an in-patient including the cost of all medicines drugs and the use of diagnostic equipment and subsequent outpatient treatment related solely to the hospitalization necessarily incurred by the Maid provided such expenses are incurred in Malaysia
WEEKLY BENEFIT
:
RM120.00 per week – the Company will compensate the amount in the event the Maid as a result of bodily injury or sickness is hospitalized or recuperates at home as prescribed by the doctor up to a period of not less than one week. The company’s liability is limited to 15 weeks in total.
VICARIOUS LIABILITY
:
Up to RM2,000.00 - The sum which the Insured becomes legally liable to pay as compensation including claimant’s costs in respect of accidental bodily injury or accidental damage to property happening on or about the Insured’s premises caused by the maid.
In addition the Company will indemnify the Insured for those sums which the Insured shall pay as legal costs and expenses with respect to any claim seeking such compensation. The Limit of Indemnity is inclusive of such legal costs and expenses and, therefore, the Limits of Indemnity available for compensation shall be reduced by any amount that the Company pays to indemnify for such legal costs and expenses.
Permanent Disablement Scale
1.
Total and Permanent Disablement from attending or following any occupation or employment
100%
2.
Total and irremediable blindness of both eyes
100%
3.
Total and irremediable blindness in one eye and loss of one hand or one foot
100%
4.
Total and irremediable blindness in one eye
50%
5.
Loss of both hand or feet or one hand and one foot
100%
6.
Loss of one hand or one foot
50%
7.
Loss of hearing or speech
50%
8.
Loss of hearing in one ear
15%
9.
Loss of arm at shoulder
75%
10.
Loss of arm below shoulder
65%
11.
Loss of leg at hip
75%
12.
Loss of leg below hip
65%
13.
Loss of thumb (both phalanges)
25%
14.
Loss of thumb (one phalanx)
10%
15.
Loss of index finger (three phalanges)
10%
16.
Loss of index finger (two phalanges)
8%
17.
Loss of index finger (one phalanx)
4%
18.
Loss of finger other than thumb or index finger
5%
19.
Loss of great toe
5%
20.
Loss of any other toe
1%
21.
Any permanent partial disablement not specific above other than loss of sense of taste or smell – such percentage to be assessed by the Company in consultation with the Company’s medical advisers. The Company reserves absolute discretion to adopt a percentage of disablement which in its opinion is not inconsistent with the foregoing scale without regard to the Insured Person’s occupation
Description
The foreign domestic maid is only permitted to work for the employer at the address as specified in her work permit. Under the Employment of Foreign Workers’ Act, employers can be charged for illegally employing or illegally deploying a foreign domestic maid. The penalty for illegally employing a foreign domestic maid without a valid work permit is a fine up to RM10,000 or 5 years imprisonment OR both fine and imprisonment, and shall also be liable to whipping of not more than six strokes. In addition, the errant employer will be permanently debarred from employing a foreign domestic maid.
Scope of Cover
ACCIDENTAL DEATH
:
RM25,000.00 - In the event of death of the Maid occurring within twelve calendar month of bodily injury due to an accident.
PERMANENT TOTAL DISABLEMENT
:
Up to RM25,000.00 in the event of permanent total disablement occurring within 12 months of the accident. occurring within twelve calendar months of bodily injury due to accident. The percentages are stated in the Permanent Disablement Scale.
MEDICAL EXPENSES
:
Up to RM750.00, reimbursement on the actual, necessary and reasonable medical, hospital or surgical expenses incurred in the treatment of injuries resulting from an accident provided such treatment is received from a qualified medical practitioner or whilst confined in a government or licensed private hospital. The company will not pay for the first RM50.00 for each and every claim under this benefit.
REPATRIATION EXPENSES
:
The repatriation expenses shall be the actual expenses incurred or RM5.000.00 whichever is the lesser, for the transportation of the Maid to her country of origin in the event she dies or suffers permanent total disablement.
HOSPITAL & SURGICAL EXPENSES
:
Up to RM3,000.00 - The company will pay the expenses in respect of hospital medical or surgical nursing home and nursing fees and charges necessarily incurred as an in-patient including the cost of all medicines drugs and the use of diagnostic equipment and subsequent outpatient treatment related solely to the hospitalization necessarily incurred by the Maid provided such expenses are incurred in Malaysia
WEEKLY BENEFIT
:
RM120.00 per week – the Company will compensate the amount in the event the Maid as a result of bodily injury or sickness is hospitalized or recuperates at home as prescribed by the doctor up to a period of not less than one week. The company’s liability is limited to 15 weeks in total.
VICARIOUS LIABILITY
:
Up to RM2,000.00 - The sum which the Insured becomes legally liable to pay as compensation including claimant’s costs in respect of accidental bodily injury or accidental damage to property happening on or about the Insured’s premises caused by the maid.
In addition the Company will indemnify the Insured for those sums which the Insured shall pay as legal costs and expenses with respect to any claim seeking such compensation. The Limit of Indemnity is inclusive of such legal costs and expenses and, therefore, the Limits of Indemnity available for compensation shall be reduced by any amount that the Company pays to indemnify for such legal costs and expenses.
Permanent Disablement Scale
1.
Total and Permanent Disablement from attending or following any occupation or employment
100%
2.
Total and irremediable blindness of both eyes
100%
3.
Total and irremediable blindness in one eye and loss of one hand or one foot
100%
4.
Total and irremediable blindness in one eye
50%
5.
Loss of both hand or feet or one hand and one foot
100%
6.
Loss of one hand or one foot
50%
7.
Loss of hearing or speech
50%
8.
Loss of hearing in one ear
15%
9.
Loss of arm at shoulder
75%
10.
Loss of arm below shoulder
65%
11.
Loss of leg at hip
75%
12.
Loss of leg below hip
65%
13.
Loss of thumb (both phalanges)
25%
14.
Loss of thumb (one phalanx)
10%
15.
Loss of index finger (three phalanges)
10%
16.
Loss of index finger (two phalanges)
8%
17.
Loss of index finger (one phalanx)
4%
18.
Loss of finger other than thumb or index finger
5%
19.
Loss of great toe
5%
20.
Loss of any other toe
1%
21.
Any permanent partial disablement not specific above other than loss of sense of taste or smell – such percentage to be assessed by the Company in consultation with the Company’s medical advisers. The Company reserves absolute discretion to adopt a percentage of disablement which in its opinion is not inconsistent with the foregoing scale without regard to the Insured Person’s occupation
Friday, January 22, 2010
"Set thine house in order," and have everything - pantry and kitchen in particular - as you expect your maid to keep it.
First impressions are truly the most lasting, and if she comes into a littered, soiled, untidy kingdom, you may expect her reign to be proportionally lax and her respect for your housekeeping abilities conspicuously absent.
This is a bad beginning, and then it is not exactly fair to set her to work the very first thing to bring order from chaos theory.
See that she has all the tools necessary to her work, replacing broken or useless utensils and assuring yourself that the cutlery and crockery for her individual table use are whole and inviting.
Show the maid to her room as soon as she arrives, with instructions to do her working garb; and then begins the induction into office, a trying experience to you both, and one which should be sufficiently prolonged to enable her to get a good grip of each new duty as it presents itself.
Avoid confusing her at the start with a jumble of instructions, but make haste slowly, giving directions in a way which she can understand. Introduce her into her workroom, explain the range and show her how to operate it, point out the different utensils and their uses and where foods are kept.
If she comes in the morning, her first duty will be the preparation of luncheon; give her instructions for that meal, what to have, and how to set the table, this being the proper time to go over the list of table furnishings with her.
Don't embarrass her by being continually at her heels, but give what directions you think necessary and then let her apply her judgment and previous experience to carrying them out.
If you find that she has neither, don't be discouraged, for you may be entertaining an angel unawares, but adopt the line upon line, precept upon precept plan, and the situation will slowly but surely brighten.
If she is over-stupid in one direction, she may be bright enough in some other to establish a balance. Luncheon and its dishes disposed of, arrange with her about dinner, and after its completion speak about her hour of rising, the preparation of breakfast, etc.
And the morning and the evening were the first day!
First impressions are truly the most lasting, and if she comes into a littered, soiled, untidy kingdom, you may expect her reign to be proportionally lax and her respect for your housekeeping abilities conspicuously absent.
This is a bad beginning, and then it is not exactly fair to set her to work the very first thing to bring order from chaos theory.
See that she has all the tools necessary to her work, replacing broken or useless utensils and assuring yourself that the cutlery and crockery for her individual table use are whole and inviting.
Show the maid to her room as soon as she arrives, with instructions to do her working garb; and then begins the induction into office, a trying experience to you both, and one which should be sufficiently prolonged to enable her to get a good grip of each new duty as it presents itself.
Avoid confusing her at the start with a jumble of instructions, but make haste slowly, giving directions in a way which she can understand. Introduce her into her workroom, explain the range and show her how to operate it, point out the different utensils and their uses and where foods are kept.
If she comes in the morning, her first duty will be the preparation of luncheon; give her instructions for that meal, what to have, and how to set the table, this being the proper time to go over the list of table furnishings with her.
Don't embarrass her by being continually at her heels, but give what directions you think necessary and then let her apply her judgment and previous experience to carrying them out.
If you find that she has neither, don't be discouraged, for you may be entertaining an angel unawares, but adopt the line upon line, precept upon precept plan, and the situation will slowly but surely brighten.
If she is over-stupid in one direction, she may be bright enough in some other to establish a balance. Luncheon and its dishes disposed of, arrange with her about dinner, and after its completion speak about her hour of rising, the preparation of breakfast, etc.
And the morning and the evening were the first day!
Wednesday, January 20, 2010
biodata dedeh
pakej RM 6800
gaji RM 500 ptg gaji 5 bln
calling visa eta 4 - 8 weeks
sosial
gaji RM 500 ptg gaji 6 bln
sudah ada majikan
Monday, January 18, 2010
Sunday, January 17, 2010
For most people who are seeking to hire foreign maids, the biodata is their first introduction to their potential employee. However, the information it contains has proven to be not as truthful as it should be.
WITH her mother’s worsening health, Marie Gomez has no choice but to hire a foreign maid to help care for her. But after hearing numerous hair-raising stories about maids from hell, Gomez is being extra careful in the selection process.
“It is definitely not easy when you only have a stack of biodata to base your selection on. There is no guarantee that all the information submitted is true,” she says.
Even the pictures provided with the biodata raise doubts.
“The prospective domestic workers claim to be of average weight but they look really frail and scrawny in the pictures,” relates Gomez.
“I thought I had found one who looks strong and sturdy enough to look after my mother and help lift her if needed, but then I realised that her picture was stretched sideways to make her look bigger than she really is. In fact she is as scrawny as the rest.”
Age limit: The rule, according to the last memorandum of understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia, is that Indonesian domestic workers who are selected for work in Malaysia must be at least 21 years old and no more than 45. – Filepic
Falsification of biodata, including for their official documents, among foreign domestic workers is more rampant than we realise.
Chan G. from Kuala Lumpur likens selecting a maid from a biodata to buying a lottery ticket.
Says the working mother of one, “I picked my maid from all the biodata given to me because she fulfilled certain criteria and had completed her secondary schooling. When she showed up, however, she was nothing like what she claimed to be.”
Despite her biodata saying otherwise, she could not cook and her attitude was bad, she adds.
“She rang up a phone bill of RM1,400 at my house. She was completely disloyal and unreliable. We discovered later on that she was entertaining people at our home when we were not around as weird people began showing up at our doorstep. When I confronted her about her attitude three or four months after she came to us, she told me that she had not wanted to be a maid but had wanted to work at a factory instead. So we decided to send her back to the agent who promised to send her back to Indonesia.”
A few months after her maid left, says Chan, she started receiving threatening messages from her.
“I learnt later that she was not sent back to Indonesia and is now working for a new employer in Malaysia. My agency never reimbursed us or even apologised,” she says, adding that she will never hire a full-time maid again after her experience.
The biodata is basically a resume for the maid. It contains information about the identity, age and experience of the maid and other details such as their working preferences, willingness to handle pork, take care of dogs or care for the elderly.
“In many situations, however, this information is made up by the agents to make the maids more marketable,” says Migrant Care Malaysia country director Alex Wong.
Many employers keep mum when their domestic workers fail to live up to their biodata or when they find discrepancies in the information provided because “returning” them will cost money.
Employers would have to pay an additional “exchange” fee of between RM,1000 and RM3,000 for a replacement maid, or start the process all over again, forking out the standard fee of RM8,000 as required when one seeks to hire a foreign maid.
Wong alleges that this has created a “business” where some agencies sell their migrant workers to different employers after they are found wanting and sent back by their original employer.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty views this claim as rubbish but concedes that many foreign domestic workers who are sent to Malaysia, especially those from Indonesia, do falsify their personal details when applying for their passport and visa.
“But there is not much we can do because they are supposed to be screened before they come over,” he says.
Maid agency director Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan agrees, stressing that the biodata is a necessary evil because it provides an insight of the maid’s background for employers.
“It is for employers to choose according to their specification. Once they agree, they have to pay the Indonesian agent a 10% deposit to secure the biodata or to book the domestic worker.
Raja Zulkepley: ‘The biodata is a necessary evil because it provides an insight of the maid’s background’
“Most of the payment goes to the Indonesian agent. Our profit is only around RM630 per maid and we have to pay for our office expenses and staff,” he says.
Wong attributes the problem to the hiring system in place.
“True, currently the biodata is the only way that employers can check out the candidates but what you see on paper is often not what you get,” he says.
This has led to numerous cases of maids running away because they are not willing to handle dogs or pork, although their biodata clearly states otherwise.
“Malaysian employers need to be smart ‘consumers’ when they deal with the agencies instead of acting desperately and giving in to all the demands of the agents when they don’t do anything other than provide the biodata,” stresses Wong.
They need to ensure that the domestic workers they receive are trained. In Indonesia, for example, the regulation is that they get 200 hours of training. There are agencies who do not follow the regulation but they claim they do.
Malaysian agents are also supposed to “retrain” the maids they receive before dispatching them to the employer to ensure that they are able to do the work they have been hired for. Unfortunately, this is not a regulation in Malaysia.
Wong highlights that there are many Indonesian domestic workers who are lured to Malaysia to work as factory workers or shop assistants.
“Some even have it stated in their employment contract but when they get here, they are forced to become domestic workers because that is a more lucrative market. This causes a lot of bad blood between the employers and domestic workers,” he says.
Tenaganita programme coordinator Aegile Fernandez concurs, saying that many are sweet-talked into working abroad.
“They are promised lots of money and a better life to come to Malaysia. Some are promised other jobs – like work in a restaurant – but when they arrive they are forced to be maids.
“But they are bound to the agency because they have either spent a lot of money or owe the agency money for the ‘expenses’ to come to Malaysia. Some are even threatened with prostitution,” she says.
Wong believes that many Malaysian agents are colluding with their overseas counterparts to falsify the biodata and other documents of the foreign maids.
The most common “lie” is the age of the prospective domestic worker.
This is well demonstrated by the recent case of the underage maid who torched her employer’s sister’s home in Terengganu after he decided to send her back to Indonesia.
Early investigations revealed that she had gained entry with a proper but allegedly falsified document, which listed a fake name and birth date.
While the police were baffled about how she manipulated her personal details, anyone with a foreign maid at home or those who have gone through the experience of hiring one will vouch that this is part and parcel of the process of hiring a foreign maid.
The rule, according to the last memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Malaysia and Indonesia (we are currently in the midst of negotiations on a new one), is that Indonesian domestic workers who are selected for work in Malaysia must be at least 21 years old and no more than 45.
However, industry insiders say that the accepted average minimum age for Indonesian maids in Malaysia is 18, which is the minimum age allowed for Indonesians to work abroad.
The situation is that in most areas in Indonesia, registration of citizens is not strict while the control system is loose, so there are many abuses.
Most of the poor in rural villages don’t even bother to register their newborn babies for birth certificates or get proper identification papers (ID) when they come of age, he says.
“Many only do it when they want to work as a migrant or domestic worker. They are then assisted by their sponsors, who help process their paperwork to create their identity and get their ID for the purpose of applying for a passport and visa.
“To get a passport, the documentation requirement is more stringent but with a small payment, the process can be made easier and faster,” Wong says.
This is a common practice in Indonesia, he adds, and this is common knowledge among Malaysian agents who use it to their advantage.
“Many Malaysian agents just accept whatever documents and whoever the Indonesian agents send over to them without question. When problems arise, they pass the blame and responsibility back to the Indonesian agents.”
Alwy denies this, stressing that most of the time the minors get through our immigration gates because the documents are genuine.
“It is difficult for us to verify if the data is true or not. If it is accepted by the Indonesian authorities, we should accept it. We do have our own measures to check this; we will interview the candidates to ascertain their real age when we suspect that they are younger than they claim,” he says.
Fernandez warns employers who are landed with an underaged maid to report the case to the authorities.
“If you suspect that a maid is young, send her back and report the agency to the authorities. It is illegal to bring in underaged maids; it could surmount to human trafficking,” she says.
These underaged domestic workers are usually not able to handle the work or the conditions of the work, being isolated from other people and, more often than not, having no means of communication with their families back home.
“They do not have the maturity yet at that age to handle their emotions, what more when they are alone in a strange country. That is why some of them ‘explode’ and take revenge on their employers,” she cautions, citing the case of a 16-year-old Indonesian maid who stabbed her employer’s mother to death in Kuantan in 2008 after she allegedly got tired of the old lady’s nagging and scolding.
Employers really need to keep in mind that these underaged maids are basically still children, she adds.
“At 14 to 16 years old, for example, a girl is young and still wants to have fun. Many do not want to spend their days cooped up doing long hours of housework.”
WITH her mother’s worsening health, Marie Gomez has no choice but to hire a foreign maid to help care for her. But after hearing numerous hair-raising stories about maids from hell, Gomez is being extra careful in the selection process.
“It is definitely not easy when you only have a stack of biodata to base your selection on. There is no guarantee that all the information submitted is true,” she says.
Even the pictures provided with the biodata raise doubts.
“The prospective domestic workers claim to be of average weight but they look really frail and scrawny in the pictures,” relates Gomez.
“I thought I had found one who looks strong and sturdy enough to look after my mother and help lift her if needed, but then I realised that her picture was stretched sideways to make her look bigger than she really is. In fact she is as scrawny as the rest.”
Age limit: The rule, according to the last memorandum of understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia, is that Indonesian domestic workers who are selected for work in Malaysia must be at least 21 years old and no more than 45. – Filepic
Falsification of biodata, including for their official documents, among foreign domestic workers is more rampant than we realise.
Chan G. from Kuala Lumpur likens selecting a maid from a biodata to buying a lottery ticket.
Says the working mother of one, “I picked my maid from all the biodata given to me because she fulfilled certain criteria and had completed her secondary schooling. When she showed up, however, she was nothing like what she claimed to be.”
Despite her biodata saying otherwise, she could not cook and her attitude was bad, she adds.
“She rang up a phone bill of RM1,400 at my house. She was completely disloyal and unreliable. We discovered later on that she was entertaining people at our home when we were not around as weird people began showing up at our doorstep. When I confronted her about her attitude three or four months after she came to us, she told me that she had not wanted to be a maid but had wanted to work at a factory instead. So we decided to send her back to the agent who promised to send her back to Indonesia.”
A few months after her maid left, says Chan, she started receiving threatening messages from her.
“I learnt later that she was not sent back to Indonesia and is now working for a new employer in Malaysia. My agency never reimbursed us or even apologised,” she says, adding that she will never hire a full-time maid again after her experience.
The biodata is basically a resume for the maid. It contains information about the identity, age and experience of the maid and other details such as their working preferences, willingness to handle pork, take care of dogs or care for the elderly.
“In many situations, however, this information is made up by the agents to make the maids more marketable,” says Migrant Care Malaysia country director Alex Wong.
Many employers keep mum when their domestic workers fail to live up to their biodata or when they find discrepancies in the information provided because “returning” them will cost money.
Employers would have to pay an additional “exchange” fee of between RM,1000 and RM3,000 for a replacement maid, or start the process all over again, forking out the standard fee of RM8,000 as required when one seeks to hire a foreign maid.
Wong alleges that this has created a “business” where some agencies sell their migrant workers to different employers after they are found wanting and sent back by their original employer.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty views this claim as rubbish but concedes that many foreign domestic workers who are sent to Malaysia, especially those from Indonesia, do falsify their personal details when applying for their passport and visa.
“But there is not much we can do because they are supposed to be screened before they come over,” he says.
Maid agency director Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan agrees, stressing that the biodata is a necessary evil because it provides an insight of the maid’s background for employers.
“It is for employers to choose according to their specification. Once they agree, they have to pay the Indonesian agent a 10% deposit to secure the biodata or to book the domestic worker.
Raja Zulkepley: ‘The biodata is a necessary evil because it provides an insight of the maid’s background’
“Most of the payment goes to the Indonesian agent. Our profit is only around RM630 per maid and we have to pay for our office expenses and staff,” he says.
Wong attributes the problem to the hiring system in place.
“True, currently the biodata is the only way that employers can check out the candidates but what you see on paper is often not what you get,” he says.
This has led to numerous cases of maids running away because they are not willing to handle dogs or pork, although their biodata clearly states otherwise.
“Malaysian employers need to be smart ‘consumers’ when they deal with the agencies instead of acting desperately and giving in to all the demands of the agents when they don’t do anything other than provide the biodata,” stresses Wong.
They need to ensure that the domestic workers they receive are trained. In Indonesia, for example, the regulation is that they get 200 hours of training. There are agencies who do not follow the regulation but they claim they do.
Malaysian agents are also supposed to “retrain” the maids they receive before dispatching them to the employer to ensure that they are able to do the work they have been hired for. Unfortunately, this is not a regulation in Malaysia.
Wong highlights that there are many Indonesian domestic workers who are lured to Malaysia to work as factory workers or shop assistants.
“Some even have it stated in their employment contract but when they get here, they are forced to become domestic workers because that is a more lucrative market. This causes a lot of bad blood between the employers and domestic workers,” he says.
Tenaganita programme coordinator Aegile Fernandez concurs, saying that many are sweet-talked into working abroad.
“They are promised lots of money and a better life to come to Malaysia. Some are promised other jobs – like work in a restaurant – but when they arrive they are forced to be maids.
“But they are bound to the agency because they have either spent a lot of money or owe the agency money for the ‘expenses’ to come to Malaysia. Some are even threatened with prostitution,” she says.
Wong believes that many Malaysian agents are colluding with their overseas counterparts to falsify the biodata and other documents of the foreign maids.
The most common “lie” is the age of the prospective domestic worker.
This is well demonstrated by the recent case of the underage maid who torched her employer’s sister’s home in Terengganu after he decided to send her back to Indonesia.
Early investigations revealed that she had gained entry with a proper but allegedly falsified document, which listed a fake name and birth date.
While the police were baffled about how she manipulated her personal details, anyone with a foreign maid at home or those who have gone through the experience of hiring one will vouch that this is part and parcel of the process of hiring a foreign maid.
The rule, according to the last memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Malaysia and Indonesia (we are currently in the midst of negotiations on a new one), is that Indonesian domestic workers who are selected for work in Malaysia must be at least 21 years old and no more than 45.
However, industry insiders say that the accepted average minimum age for Indonesian maids in Malaysia is 18, which is the minimum age allowed for Indonesians to work abroad.
The situation is that in most areas in Indonesia, registration of citizens is not strict while the control system is loose, so there are many abuses.
Most of the poor in rural villages don’t even bother to register their newborn babies for birth certificates or get proper identification papers (ID) when they come of age, he says.
“Many only do it when they want to work as a migrant or domestic worker. They are then assisted by their sponsors, who help process their paperwork to create their identity and get their ID for the purpose of applying for a passport and visa.
“To get a passport, the documentation requirement is more stringent but with a small payment, the process can be made easier and faster,” Wong says.
This is a common practice in Indonesia, he adds, and this is common knowledge among Malaysian agents who use it to their advantage.
“Many Malaysian agents just accept whatever documents and whoever the Indonesian agents send over to them without question. When problems arise, they pass the blame and responsibility back to the Indonesian agents.”
Alwy denies this, stressing that most of the time the minors get through our immigration gates because the documents are genuine.
“It is difficult for us to verify if the data is true or not. If it is accepted by the Indonesian authorities, we should accept it. We do have our own measures to check this; we will interview the candidates to ascertain their real age when we suspect that they are younger than they claim,” he says.
Fernandez warns employers who are landed with an underaged maid to report the case to the authorities.
“If you suspect that a maid is young, send her back and report the agency to the authorities. It is illegal to bring in underaged maids; it could surmount to human trafficking,” she says.
These underaged domestic workers are usually not able to handle the work or the conditions of the work, being isolated from other people and, more often than not, having no means of communication with their families back home.
“They do not have the maturity yet at that age to handle their emotions, what more when they are alone in a strange country. That is why some of them ‘explode’ and take revenge on their employers,” she cautions, citing the case of a 16-year-old Indonesian maid who stabbed her employer’s mother to death in Kuantan in 2008 after she allegedly got tired of the old lady’s nagging and scolding.
Employers really need to keep in mind that these underaged maids are basically still children, she adds.
“At 14 to 16 years old, for example, a girl is young and still wants to have fun. Many do not want to spend their days cooped up doing long hours of housework.”
Saturday, January 16, 2010
Tempoh sah laku VOA disingkat
PUTRAJAYA - Kerajaan mungkin memendekkan tempoh sah laku visa ketibaan (VOA) pelancong kepada beberapa hari sahaja berbanding sebulan sebelum ini.
Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam (gambar) berkata, ia salah satu langkah bagi memastikan kemudahan itu tidak terus disalahgunakan oleh sebahagian pelancong dari negara tertentu.
"Langkah itu adalah antara cadangan yang dikemukakan pada mesyuarat antara KDN dengan wakil dari pelbagai kementerian di sini," katanya ketika dihubungi Bernama semalam.
Katanya, semua pihak yang terbabit dalam perbincangan itu akan mengadakan satu lagi mesyuarat sebelum hasil dan syor mengenai soal VOA, pekerja asing dan Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin dikemukakan kepada Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Selasa depan.
Mahmood berkata, cadangan memendekkan tempoh sahlaku VOA itu juga dikatakan bersesuaian dengan tujuan melancong yang tidak memerlukan tempoh yang terlalu lama.
PUTRAJAYA - Kerajaan mungkin memendekkan tempoh sah laku visa ketibaan (VOA) pelancong kepada beberapa hari sahaja berbanding sebulan sebelum ini.
Ketua Setiausaha Kementerian Dalam Negeri (KDN), Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam (gambar) berkata, ia salah satu langkah bagi memastikan kemudahan itu tidak terus disalahgunakan oleh sebahagian pelancong dari negara tertentu.
"Langkah itu adalah antara cadangan yang dikemukakan pada mesyuarat antara KDN dengan wakil dari pelbagai kementerian di sini," katanya ketika dihubungi Bernama semalam.
Katanya, semua pihak yang terbabit dalam perbincangan itu akan mengadakan satu lagi mesyuarat sebelum hasil dan syor mengenai soal VOA, pekerja asing dan Pendatang Asing Tanpa Izin dikemukakan kepada Timbalan Perdana Menteri Tan Sri Muhyiddin Yassin, Selasa depan.
Mahmood berkata, cadangan memendekkan tempoh sahlaku VOA itu juga dikatakan bersesuaian dengan tujuan melancong yang tidak memerlukan tempoh yang terlalu lama.
Thursday, January 14, 2010
Wednesday, January 13, 2010
Indonesians out, Cambodians in
Submitted by Izat on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa)
Local
1,500 to 3,000 Cambodian maids brought in every month, says Papa president
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 09:54:00
KUALA LUMPUR: The freeze on new Indonesian maids has resulted in Cambodians taking their place.
The ban was put in place by Indonesia following cases of Indonesian domestic workers being abused in Malaysia.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty told The Malay Mail that employers were hiring maids from other countries, especially Cambodia.
Before the freeze, a single maid agency would only bring in 20 Cambodians maids, said Alwi.
“Our intake of maids from Cambodia has increased threefold. Now, some 1,500 to 3,000 Cambodians are brought in every month,” he said, adding that the maids are trained in their home country before arriving in Malaysia and many were taught to speak basic English.
“The cost is similiar to that of an Indonesian maid. A Cambodian maid’s salary is RM500 to RM600 and it would cost an employer RM7,000 to RM8,000 to bring a maid in.”
Alwi said it would be “disadvantageous” for Indonesia to delay lifting the freeze. Apart from Cambodia, maids are also brought in from Vietnam and the Philippines.
Alwi said Papa was “in talks” to bring in domestic helpers from Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and the southern regions of the Philippines.
Maid agencies, he said, had decided it was best to seek maids from other countries for the betterment of the industry.
“We do not wish to be too dependent on one country as that could lead to problems, such as the maid freeze.”
Yesterday, the Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the joint Malaysia-Indonesia technical committee on foreign maids would meet again next month to end the Indonesian maid freeze
Submitted by Izat on Wednesday, January 13th, 2010
Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa)
Local
1,500 to 3,000 Cambodian maids brought in every month, says Papa president
Wednesday, January 13th, 2010 09:54:00
KUALA LUMPUR: The freeze on new Indonesian maids has resulted in Cambodians taking their place.
The ban was put in place by Indonesia following cases of Indonesian domestic workers being abused in Malaysia.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty told The Malay Mail that employers were hiring maids from other countries, especially Cambodia.
Before the freeze, a single maid agency would only bring in 20 Cambodians maids, said Alwi.
“Our intake of maids from Cambodia has increased threefold. Now, some 1,500 to 3,000 Cambodians are brought in every month,” he said, adding that the maids are trained in their home country before arriving in Malaysia and many were taught to speak basic English.
“The cost is similiar to that of an Indonesian maid. A Cambodian maid’s salary is RM500 to RM600 and it would cost an employer RM7,000 to RM8,000 to bring a maid in.”
Alwi said it would be “disadvantageous” for Indonesia to delay lifting the freeze. Apart from Cambodia, maids are also brought in from Vietnam and the Philippines.
Alwi said Papa was “in talks” to bring in domestic helpers from Papua New Guinea, Myanmar and the southern regions of the Philippines.
Maid agencies, he said, had decided it was best to seek maids from other countries for the betterment of the industry.
“We do not wish to be too dependent on one country as that could lead to problems, such as the maid freeze.”
Yesterday, the Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the joint Malaysia-Indonesia technical committee on foreign maids would meet again next month to end the Indonesian maid freeze
Tuesday, January 12, 2010
Pembantu Rumah Asing (PRA)
Terakhir dikemaskini (Selasa, 15 September 2009 16:46)
Permohonan Pekerja Asing Sektor Pembantu Rumah
Garis Panduan dan Syarat-Syarat Pengambilan Pembantu Rumah Asing
Permohonan Visa Dengan Rujukan (VDR) dan Pas Lawatan (Kerja Sementara) Pembantu Rumah Asing
Prosidur Kemasukan Pembantu Rumah Asing
Permohonan Pembaharuan Pas Lawatan (Kerja Sementara)
Permohonan Memo Periksa Keluar
Gantian Pekerja Asing / Pembantu Rumah Asing Yang Tidak Sihat
Laporan Pekerja Asing Melarikan Diri
Negara sumber yang dibenarkan ialah:
- Indonesia - Thailand - Kemboja - Filipina - Sri Lanka - India - Nepal - Vietnam - Laos
Garis Panduan dan Syarat-Syarat Pengambilan Pembantu Rumah Asing
1.
Permohonan pengambilan Pembantu Rumah Asing (PRA) boleh dibuat oleh majikan sendiri atau melalui agensi pekerjaan yang berdaftar dengan Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia di pejabat Imigresen Negeri mengikut alamat majikan.
2.
Majikan perlu memastikan Borang Permohonan beserta dokumen yang diperlukan adalah lengkap sebelum dikemukakan.
3.
Majikan mesti terdiri daripada suami atau isteri yang mempunyai anak berumur bawah 15 tahun yang perlu perhatian dan jagaan atau ibu bapa yang sakit/uzur.
4.
Suami dan isteri majikan mestilah bekerja dan hanya satu (1) pembantu rumah asing yang layak dipohon untuk satu keluarga.
5.
Jumlah pendapatan bulanan majikan yang hendak menggajikan PRA warganegara Filipina, Sri Lanka, India dan Nepal hendaklah tidak kurang RM5,000.00 manakala bagi PRA warganegara Indonesia, Thailand, Kemboja, Vietnam dan Laos ialah tidak kurang dari RM3,000.00.
6.
Majikan yang telah diisytiharkan muflis tidak layak mendapat kemudahan ini.
7.
Majikan yang mempunyai alasan yang kukuh dan pendapatan mengikut syarat yang ditetapkan oleh Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia dibenarkan memohon pembantu rumah asing kedua.
8.
Bakal PRA mestilah perempuan, terdiri daripada warganegara Indonesia, Thailand, Kemboja, Filipina, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Vietnam ataupun Laos serta berumur tidak kurang daripada 21 tahun dan tidak melebihi 45 tahun dan disahkan sihat oleh pusat-pusat perubatan yang dilantik.
9.
Majikan beragama Islam dibenarkan menggaji PRA beragama Islam sahaja.
10.
Bakal PRA mestilah berada di negara asal dan masuk/datang ke Malaysia menggunakan Visa Dengan Rujukan (VDR) yang diambil di pejabat perwakilan Malaysia di negara berkenaan.
11.
Majikan dikehendaki membuat pemeriksaan kesihatan bagi PRA di klinik panel yang dilantik oleh Fomema Sdn. Bhd. sebaik tiba di negara ini dan mendapatkan endosmen PL(KS) di Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia Negeri yang meluluskannya dalam masa 1 satu bulan dari tarikh tiba.
12.
Pembantu rumah asing yang gagal pemeriksaan kesihatan tidak dibenarkan bekerja dan majikan perlu mengurus penghantaran pulang segera dengan mendapatkan Memo Periksa Keluar dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia.
13..
Majikan hendaklah memastikan PRA ditugaskan untuk membuat kerja-kerja rumah sahaja (tidak termasuk cuci kereta).
14.
Majikan dimestikan menyediakan kemudahan bilik/tempat tinggal yang sesuai kepada PRA lengkap dengan kemudahan asas dan makanan yang berkhasiat. PRA juga hendaklah diberi rehat secukupnya termasuk waktu tidur sekurang-kurangnya 8 jam sehari.
15.
Majikan bukan Islam yang menggaji PRA yang beragama Islam mestilah menghormati sensitiviti agama PRA dengan membenarkan PRA melakukan ibadah seperti sembahyang 5 waktu, puasa bulan Ramadhan dan tidak disuruh melakukan kerja-kerja rumah yang bertentangan dengan agama Islam.
16.
Majikan hendaklah maklum bahawa PRA tidak dibenarkan berkahwin dengan rakyat tempatan, rakyat asing atau pekerja asing yang berkerja di negara ini semasa memegang PL(KS).
17.
Majikan hendaklah maklum bahawa PRA tidak dibenarkan membuat Permohonan Permit Masuk semasa memegang PL(KS).
18.
Majikan hendaklah memastikan PRA tidak bertukar pekerjaan/sektor atau bertukar majikan tanpa kebenaran dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia.
19.
Lanjutan tempoh PL(KS) hendaklah dikemukakan kepada mana-mana Pejabat Imigresen tiga (3) bulan sebelum tarikh tamat PL(KS) dan bagi lanjutan tahun kedua serta ketiga setelah mendapat kelulusan pemeriksaan kesihatan di klinik panel yang dilantik oleh Fomema Sdn. Bhd.
20.
Majikan bertanggungjawab menyimpan rekod pembayaran gaji PRA dan menunjukkan kepada pihak Jabatan apabila diminta untuk tujuan lanjutan PL(KS) atau Memo Periksa Keluar. Gaji PRA hendaklah dijelaskan selewat-lewatnya pada minggu terakhir setiap bulan.
21.
Rawatan perubatan PRA semasa dalam tempoh PL(KS) adalah di bawah tanggungjawab majikan.
22.
Majikan bertanggungjawab melaporkan kepada Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia sekiranya PRA meninggal dunia, hilang atau melarikan diri dari tempat sepatutnya dia bekerja.
23.
Majikan atau agensi pekerjaan tidak dibenarkan memukul atau apa-apa perbuatan yang mendatangkan kecederaan kepada PRA.
24.
Sekiranya majikan dan pasangannya bercerai, Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia berhak untuk memindahkan nama majikan PRA berkenaan kepada isteri atau majikan baru yang berkelayakan.
25.
Sekiranya majikan atau pasangannya meninggal dunia, maka majikan atau pasangan atau warisnya diminta melaporkan kepada Jabatan Imigrsen Malaysia penentuan majikan baru PRA berkenaan.
26.
Majikan hendaklah mendapatkan kelulusan dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia bagi PRA yang memohon berhenti atau diberhentikan atau tamat tempoh pas dengan mendapatkan Memo Periksa Keluar dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia bagi tujuan penghantaran pulang.
27.
Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia mempunyai hak membatalkan kelulusan pas yang dikeluarkan.
28.
Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia mempunyai kuasa memindahkan PRA yang dianiaya oleh majikan asal kepada majikan baru yang layak atas dasar kemanusiaan walaupun tanpa persetujuan majikan asal.
29.
Majikan yang ingin membawa pembantu rumah asing bekerja di luar negara dikehendaki memaklumkan kepada pejabat perwakilan negara asal pembantu rumah asing berkenaan di Malaysia.
30.
Majikan yang telah diberi kelulusan PRA tetapi gagal mematuhi syarat-syarat di atas akan disenaraihitamkan daripada mendapat kemudahan pembantu rumah asing.
31.
Majikan dan PRA hendaklah sentiasa mematuhi perkara-perkara yang dipersetujui dalam perjanjian pekerjaan.
Terakhir dikemaskini (Selasa, 15 September 2009 16:46)
Permohonan Pekerja Asing Sektor Pembantu Rumah
Garis Panduan dan Syarat-Syarat Pengambilan Pembantu Rumah Asing
Permohonan Visa Dengan Rujukan (VDR) dan Pas Lawatan (Kerja Sementara) Pembantu Rumah Asing
Prosidur Kemasukan Pembantu Rumah Asing
Permohonan Pembaharuan Pas Lawatan (Kerja Sementara)
Permohonan Memo Periksa Keluar
Gantian Pekerja Asing / Pembantu Rumah Asing Yang Tidak Sihat
Laporan Pekerja Asing Melarikan Diri
Negara sumber yang dibenarkan ialah:
- Indonesia - Thailand - Kemboja - Filipina - Sri Lanka - India - Nepal - Vietnam - Laos
Garis Panduan dan Syarat-Syarat Pengambilan Pembantu Rumah Asing
1.
Permohonan pengambilan Pembantu Rumah Asing (PRA) boleh dibuat oleh majikan sendiri atau melalui agensi pekerjaan yang berdaftar dengan Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia di pejabat Imigresen Negeri mengikut alamat majikan.
2.
Majikan perlu memastikan Borang Permohonan beserta dokumen yang diperlukan adalah lengkap sebelum dikemukakan.
3.
Majikan mesti terdiri daripada suami atau isteri yang mempunyai anak berumur bawah 15 tahun yang perlu perhatian dan jagaan atau ibu bapa yang sakit/uzur.
4.
Suami dan isteri majikan mestilah bekerja dan hanya satu (1) pembantu rumah asing yang layak dipohon untuk satu keluarga.
5.
Jumlah pendapatan bulanan majikan yang hendak menggajikan PRA warganegara Filipina, Sri Lanka, India dan Nepal hendaklah tidak kurang RM5,000.00 manakala bagi PRA warganegara Indonesia, Thailand, Kemboja, Vietnam dan Laos ialah tidak kurang dari RM3,000.00.
6.
Majikan yang telah diisytiharkan muflis tidak layak mendapat kemudahan ini.
7.
Majikan yang mempunyai alasan yang kukuh dan pendapatan mengikut syarat yang ditetapkan oleh Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia dibenarkan memohon pembantu rumah asing kedua.
8.
Bakal PRA mestilah perempuan, terdiri daripada warganegara Indonesia, Thailand, Kemboja, Filipina, Sri Lanka, India, Nepal, Vietnam ataupun Laos serta berumur tidak kurang daripada 21 tahun dan tidak melebihi 45 tahun dan disahkan sihat oleh pusat-pusat perubatan yang dilantik.
9.
Majikan beragama Islam dibenarkan menggaji PRA beragama Islam sahaja.
10.
Bakal PRA mestilah berada di negara asal dan masuk/datang ke Malaysia menggunakan Visa Dengan Rujukan (VDR) yang diambil di pejabat perwakilan Malaysia di negara berkenaan.
11.
Majikan dikehendaki membuat pemeriksaan kesihatan bagi PRA di klinik panel yang dilantik oleh Fomema Sdn. Bhd. sebaik tiba di negara ini dan mendapatkan endosmen PL(KS) di Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia Negeri yang meluluskannya dalam masa 1 satu bulan dari tarikh tiba.
12.
Pembantu rumah asing yang gagal pemeriksaan kesihatan tidak dibenarkan bekerja dan majikan perlu mengurus penghantaran pulang segera dengan mendapatkan Memo Periksa Keluar dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia.
13..
Majikan hendaklah memastikan PRA ditugaskan untuk membuat kerja-kerja rumah sahaja (tidak termasuk cuci kereta).
14.
Majikan dimestikan menyediakan kemudahan bilik/tempat tinggal yang sesuai kepada PRA lengkap dengan kemudahan asas dan makanan yang berkhasiat. PRA juga hendaklah diberi rehat secukupnya termasuk waktu tidur sekurang-kurangnya 8 jam sehari.
15.
Majikan bukan Islam yang menggaji PRA yang beragama Islam mestilah menghormati sensitiviti agama PRA dengan membenarkan PRA melakukan ibadah seperti sembahyang 5 waktu, puasa bulan Ramadhan dan tidak disuruh melakukan kerja-kerja rumah yang bertentangan dengan agama Islam.
16.
Majikan hendaklah maklum bahawa PRA tidak dibenarkan berkahwin dengan rakyat tempatan, rakyat asing atau pekerja asing yang berkerja di negara ini semasa memegang PL(KS).
17.
Majikan hendaklah maklum bahawa PRA tidak dibenarkan membuat Permohonan Permit Masuk semasa memegang PL(KS).
18.
Majikan hendaklah memastikan PRA tidak bertukar pekerjaan/sektor atau bertukar majikan tanpa kebenaran dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia.
19.
Lanjutan tempoh PL(KS) hendaklah dikemukakan kepada mana-mana Pejabat Imigresen tiga (3) bulan sebelum tarikh tamat PL(KS) dan bagi lanjutan tahun kedua serta ketiga setelah mendapat kelulusan pemeriksaan kesihatan di klinik panel yang dilantik oleh Fomema Sdn. Bhd.
20.
Majikan bertanggungjawab menyimpan rekod pembayaran gaji PRA dan menunjukkan kepada pihak Jabatan apabila diminta untuk tujuan lanjutan PL(KS) atau Memo Periksa Keluar. Gaji PRA hendaklah dijelaskan selewat-lewatnya pada minggu terakhir setiap bulan.
21.
Rawatan perubatan PRA semasa dalam tempoh PL(KS) adalah di bawah tanggungjawab majikan.
22.
Majikan bertanggungjawab melaporkan kepada Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia sekiranya PRA meninggal dunia, hilang atau melarikan diri dari tempat sepatutnya dia bekerja.
23.
Majikan atau agensi pekerjaan tidak dibenarkan memukul atau apa-apa perbuatan yang mendatangkan kecederaan kepada PRA.
24.
Sekiranya majikan dan pasangannya bercerai, Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia berhak untuk memindahkan nama majikan PRA berkenaan kepada isteri atau majikan baru yang berkelayakan.
25.
Sekiranya majikan atau pasangannya meninggal dunia, maka majikan atau pasangan atau warisnya diminta melaporkan kepada Jabatan Imigrsen Malaysia penentuan majikan baru PRA berkenaan.
26.
Majikan hendaklah mendapatkan kelulusan dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia bagi PRA yang memohon berhenti atau diberhentikan atau tamat tempoh pas dengan mendapatkan Memo Periksa Keluar dari Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia bagi tujuan penghantaran pulang.
27.
Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia mempunyai hak membatalkan kelulusan pas yang dikeluarkan.
28.
Jabatan Imigresen Malaysia mempunyai kuasa memindahkan PRA yang dianiaya oleh majikan asal kepada majikan baru yang layak atas dasar kemanusiaan walaupun tanpa persetujuan majikan asal.
29.
Majikan yang ingin membawa pembantu rumah asing bekerja di luar negara dikehendaki memaklumkan kepada pejabat perwakilan negara asal pembantu rumah asing berkenaan di Malaysia.
30.
Majikan yang telah diberi kelulusan PRA tetapi gagal mematuhi syarat-syarat di atas akan disenaraihitamkan daripada mendapat kemudahan pembantu rumah asing.
31.
Majikan dan PRA hendaklah sentiasa mematuhi perkara-perkara yang dipersetujui dalam perjanjian pekerjaan.
Monday, January 11, 2010
Sunday, January 10, 2010
Tuesday, January 5, 2010
PUTRAJAYA: The two associations representing maid agencies should merge to give them a stronger voice when dealing with their Indonesian counterparts which are often strong and aggressive, said Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam.
He said the stronger Indonesian associations had an edge when negotiating with the Malaysian associations.
Mahmood said although the ministry had no intention of meddling in the affairs of the associations, it was also a party with interest in the welfare of foreign maid agencies in Malaysia.
“Bringing all the foreign maid agencies under one umbrella is merely a suggestion that we feel will benefit our agencies,” he said.
The two organisations are the Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies and the National Organisation for Foreign Workers Agencies.
Mahmood said having a single body to represent the agencies would also help in the ministry’s aim to form a council to look into all areas involving foreign maids.
The council, he said, would comprise representatives from the relevant government agencies, maid agencies and non-governmental organisations involved in the protection of maids and employers.
Mahmood said the associations were expected to announce whether they would merge during their monthly meeting with the ministry later this month.
Another reason why the ministry wanted the two associations to merge was to make official dealings easier.
He said the stronger Indonesian associations had an edge when negotiating with the Malaysian associations.
Mahmood said although the ministry had no intention of meddling in the affairs of the associations, it was also a party with interest in the welfare of foreign maid agencies in Malaysia.
“Bringing all the foreign maid agencies under one umbrella is merely a suggestion that we feel will benefit our agencies,” he said.
The two organisations are the Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies and the National Organisation for Foreign Workers Agencies.
Mahmood said having a single body to represent the agencies would also help in the ministry’s aim to form a council to look into all areas involving foreign maids.
The council, he said, would comprise representatives from the relevant government agencies, maid agencies and non-governmental organisations involved in the protection of maids and employers.
Mahmood said the associations were expected to announce whether they would merge during their monthly meeting with the ministry later this month.
Another reason why the ministry wanted the two associations to merge was to make official dealings easier.
Sunday, January 3, 2010
Maid freeze until new MoU
PUTRAJAYA: The Home Ministry will not approve new applications for Indonesian maids until a new Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) on the matter is signed.
Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said Malaysian employers would just have to bear with the delay as both countries have agreed to freeze new approval for Indonesian maids until a new agreement was signed.
He said the delay not deliberate as the ministry understood the difficulties faced by prospective employers, especially those with special needs.
He said both countries had agreed to hold discussions and sign a new MoU following Indonesia’s demands to look into a number of issues relating to the employment of their domestic maids here, including on the issue of a weekly day off.
“The next meeting between Malaysia and Indonesia on the issue will hopefully be held here soon, and we are hoping that we can conclude all the discussions and sign the new MoU then,” he said when contacted.
He was responding to numerous complaints by the public recently over the delays in approving applications for domestic maids.
Mahmood said Malaysia was still waiting for Indonesia to confirm the date for the next meeting and that the MoU could only be signed if both sides agreed to all the terms.
He asked those applying for maids from Indonesia to be patient as the Government was trying its best to have the problems resolved as soon as possible.
He said applicants could also opt to hire maids from other countries as the current freeze only applied to maids from Indonesia.
Its secretary-general Datuk Seri Mahmood Adam said Malaysian employers would just have to bear with the delay as both countries have agreed to freeze new approval for Indonesian maids until a new agreement was signed.
He said the delay not deliberate as the ministry understood the difficulties faced by prospective employers, especially those with special needs.
He said both countries had agreed to hold discussions and sign a new MoU following Indonesia’s demands to look into a number of issues relating to the employment of their domestic maids here, including on the issue of a weekly day off.
“The next meeting between Malaysia and Indonesia on the issue will hopefully be held here soon, and we are hoping that we can conclude all the discussions and sign the new MoU then,” he said when contacted.
He was responding to numerous complaints by the public recently over the delays in approving applications for domestic maids.
Mahmood said Malaysia was still waiting for Indonesia to confirm the date for the next meeting and that the MoU could only be signed if both sides agreed to all the terms.
He asked those applying for maids from Indonesia to be patient as the Government was trying its best to have the problems resolved as soon as possible.
He said applicants could also opt to hire maids from other countries as the current freeze only applied to maids from Indonesia.
Saturday, January 2, 2010
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