Cost Of Engaging Indonesian Housemaids Lower Under Mou

Cost Of Engaging Indonesian Housemaids Lower Under Mou

JAKARTA, Aug 23 (Bernama) -- Malaysia and Indonesia on Monday agreed to finalise the provisions under the memorandum of understanding (MoU) on the employment and placement of Indonesian domestic maids which, among others, fixed a lower rate of payment for employment compared to the current market rate.

Without disclosing the rate agreed upon, Deputy Secretary-General (Senior) of the Home Ministry, Datuk Raja Azahar Raja Abdul Manap said it was lower than the RM8,000 to RM9,000 which had to be paid by the employers now, but higher than the RM4,000 fixed in the 2006 MoU.

The new MoU also clearly outlined the protection for employers including a guarantee for a replacement, which was extended to six months, from the three months fixed previously, he said after the sixth meeting of the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Working Group on the employment of Indonesian domestic maids, here Monday.

"What is happening now is that the employers not only have to pay the high cost of employment such as the deposit payment, but also face losses as they do not get replacement domestic maids when their original maid leaves on the fourth month because the current guarantee is only valid for three months," he said.

It also provides that the employers get back the deposit payment if they do not get a replacement domestic maid.

The new MoU, he said, took into consideration the interests of the three parties namely the worker, the employer and the employment agency besides clearly outlining the respective responsibilities.

Raja Azahar said the meeting on Monday also agreed to form a task force in Malaysia and in Indonesia who would act as the monitoring body for the implementation of the MoU.

Raja Azahar led the 11-member delegation from Malaysia at the Joint Working Group meeting on Monday, the sixth meeting after the two countries had agreed to amend the 2006 MoU on the Employment and Emplacement of Indonesian Domestic Maids.

Malaysia and Indonesia had signed a Letter of Intent (LOI) for the new MoU on May 18 during the annual discussions between Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak and President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono in Kuala Lumpur.

-- BERNAMA