Maid supply from Indonesia may fall short

Monday May 16, 2011
By AMY CHEW newsdesk@thestar.com.my

JAKARTA: Indonesia may not be able to fulfill Malaysia's need for 50,000 domestic helpers as the country's economy improves, making it more attractive for women to work at home rather than seek a living in a foreign land.

Indonesia is also seeking a minimum wage of RM700 for the workers.
Its Labour and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar told The Star that he was confident both countries would be able to conclude negotiations on domestic workers at the end of this month but his country would struggle to supply 50,000 domestic helpers when the ban is lifted.

“Interest in working as a domestic worker is starting to decline.
“Based on the information we have received, Malaysia needs 50,000 domestic workers. I am not certain we will be able to meet this demand.
“But we will try our best for those (employers) who meet the standards for salary and (worker) protection. We are looking at a minimum wage of RM700,” Muhaimin said.

At a joint press conference with Muhaimin in Kuala Lumpur in March, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said the issue of minimum wage was not discussed and would be left to market forces.

Jakarta stopped sending maids to Malaysia in June 2009 following reports of maid abuse.
Migrant worker NGOs also complained of lack of benefits, including a minimum monthly salary.
Negotiations on the MoU include giving maids one day off a week, the right to hold their own passport, monthly salary to be paid through a bank transfer and a joint task force to ensure protection of the workers.

During the two-year moratorium, many workers who could not be sent to Malaysia largely worked in the agricultural sector.
“They (workers) were not diverted (to other countries),” said Muhaimin.
Indonesia is South-East Asia's largest economy and recorded a 6.1% GDP growth rate last year to strengthen its position as one of the emerging market's best performers.
As a result of the ban, the number of Indonesian workers entering Malaysia declined to 154,202 in 2010 from 276,633 in 2009, according to the Indonesian Labour and Transmigration Ministry.

The ban was only for domestic helpers.
Prior to the ban, Malaysia played host to the largest number of Indonesian migrant workers every year.

Employer, Maid Can Still Negotiate Weekly Off Day - Najib

May 20, 2010 14:47 PM
By: Ramjit

KUALA LUMPUR, May 20 (Bernama) -- Malaysian employers and their Indonesian maids can still negotiate the requirement for an off day a week and come up with mutually-agreed arrangement, Prime Minister Datuk Seri Najib Tun Razak said.He said if both sides agreed, the maids need not take an off day and they would be paid salary in lieu of the off day."If we have concerns, we can still negotiate," he told reporters after opening the ground breaking ceremony of Utusan Melayu (M) Berhad's new headquarters at Jalan Chan Sow Lin, here on Thursday.

Najib said this when asked to comment on concerns that the one-day off for maid could give rise to social problem."There should be a compromise or else how are we going to have the supply of maid?" he said.On Tuesday, Malaysia and Indonesia signed a letter of intent, which requires Malaysian employers to give their Indonesian maids a day off a week and that if the maids agreed not to take the off day, they would be paid salaries instead.

Najib said Malaysian families were increasingly in need of maid especially if the husband and wife were working.Asked whether the setting up of more nurseries could help ease the demand for maid among working couples, Najib said it was likely that these couples would still need the service of a maid.-- BERNAMA