Maid Issue: Improve Contract To Satisfy Both Sides, Says Ambassador

PUTRAJAYA, June 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia needs to improve the contract between the employer and domestic maid that will give satisfaction to both sides, Malaysia's ambasasador to Indonesia, Datuk Zainal Abidin Zain said.In welcoming the government's suggestion that maids should be given a day off in a week, he said there must be changes in the employment area so as to give rights to both the maid and employer."Although there have been a number of abused maid cases, let's not allow this issue affect the bilateral relations between Malaysia and Indonesia."The Malaysian government does not condone such abuse, so let us try to work out a system to the satisfaction of both countries," he told Bernama at the 7th Heads of Mission Conference, here, Tuesday.The six-day conference held at the Putrajaya International Convention Centre was opened by Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Razak yesterday.Human Resource Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam had said that the off day provision would be incorporated into the contract of employment to be signed by the employer, maid and the agency responsible for bringing the maid into the country.On the Indonesian government's plan to temporarily stop sending domestic helpers to Malaysia after an Indonesian maid was recently tortured and injured, he said they were still considering the matter and would have more discussions before making a decision.The latest maid abuse case was that had befallen Siti Hajar Sadli from Limbangan, Garut, West Java.Zainal said one of the solutions to the issue could be that Chinese households should employ maids from China or the Philippines to avoid problems involving food and religious practices.He said other measures to curb maid abuse could be monitoring every three months, whereby the agencies should be given some role to play as they had brought the maids in."To renew the work permit, the employer and maid should come and see the Immigration officer as part of an effective monitoring system to check the problem," he said.On the anti-Malaysia campaign in Indonesia following the Manohara, Ambalat and maid abuse issues, Zainal said there was no real danger for Malaysians to visit Indonesia.