Standards for maids

2011/10/19
New Straits Times (Malaysia)

CAMBODIA, like Indonesia, now considers Malaysia "dangerous" to work in for domestic helpers. The latter's suspension of entry into this country of its people seeking employment as maids, put in place in 2007, has yet to be rescinded. The former has recently simply imposed a ban on its nationals from working as maids here. Both countries cannot, however, be faulted because one intentional injury, let alone death, is just one too many. It is no good for employers to be pleading innocence when the indictment against a tiny minority among them is irrefutable. It is no consolation to the victims and their countries of origin to say that the few bad apples do not reflect the kind-hearted majority. Despite the earnest denials and rebuttals, this is an instance where the rotten few can and often do spoil the whole bunch.

Another defence trotted out on cue every time allegations arise of torture, rape and even death in a few of our homes is that women must go out to work because of the huge labour deficit the country suffers from. Indeed, it is our duty as citizens to pitch in with whatever we can to bring this nation to advanced status, but not at the cost of our national reputation. It would be difficult for the authorities to ensure that every maid is safe in her employer's home. But even the maid agencies, whose livelihoods depend on the now-persnickety supplying countries, recognise that safeguards have to be put in place. International standards for the hiring and protection of domestic workers have evolved and Malaysians must be prepared to comply, even if the government is not yet a signatory to the formal agreements.

Minister for Women, Family and Community Development Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil was spot on when she urged Malaysians to stop the dependency on foreigners and to learn to be self-sufficient. The staggering number of foreign workers registered during the recent 6P exercise by the Immigration Department should be enough to sound the alarm. European women work and yet the average family survives very well without the intrusion of a stranger within their four walls. The so-called double burden of the working woman is not of the legendary proportions it is made out to be, especially when the husband takes on his fair share. Plantations cannot employ locals because employers refuse to pay a fair wage and the same is repeated over most industries that employ legions of unskilled foreigners. All this amounts to some very negative impressions: lazy, greedy, exploitative and, every once in a while, violent.