Sajithra Nithi
Radio Australia News
Cambodia's Prime Minister has placed a temporarily ban on sending domestic workers to Malaysia in a bid to stop violence against workers in the female-dominated industry.
Prime Minister Hun Sen signed the order after numerous campaigns by human rights groups, focusing on the ill-treatment of maids sent to Malaysia.
"We were quite pleased because it was so out of control that it was necessary to stop," director at human rights group LICADHO, Naly Pilorge, told Connect Asia.
The cases range from women and girls being over-worked, under-fed, beaten or sexually abused.
"Besides the confiscation of documents that would allow them to move both within and outside Malaysia, they're often stuck with having to pay enormous debts and subjected to all kinds of abuses, ranging from poor conditions to long hours, to also violent abuses, such as rape," she said.
Prime Minister Hun Sen signed the ban on October 15 but monitors from LICADHO say they saw at least 20 Cambodian maids checking in for a flight to Kuala Lumpur two days later because trainees recruited before the signing are still permitted to work.
"I guarantee and assure that all the migrant workers will be protected," president of the Association of Cambodian Recruiting Agencies An Bunhak said.
Cambodia has not said how long the temporary ban will be in place for.
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