HANOI, 29 June 2009: The Philippines is ready to send between 50,000 and 60,000 women to work as maids in Malaysia, the Vietnam news agency reported today, citing the Philippine Star newspaper.
A local official said the Philippine government was confident of humane treatment by Malaysian employers and the high RM800 monthly
wage for maids, according to the report.
The official said the maids are from Mindanao and fluent in English.
The official would start to bring in about 500 to 600 Philippines maids to fill a void left by Indonesians. Last week, the Indonesian government announced a temporary ban on sending Indonesian maids to Malaysia after a recent case of maid abuse. — Bernama
Nicholas Aw says
Each time Indonesia’s election looms, the issue of maids and other debacles concerning Indonesians become fodder for media from both sides of the divide – Indonesia and Malaysia. After the storm is over things will probably be back to what they were before.
What the Indonesian authorities do not realise is that no one wins in such a situation. The Indonesians who want to etch a living in Malaysia are deprived from doing so, the agents lose money and the employers are left high and dry to look for alternatives.
Actually, the Indonesian authorities are holding Malaysia to ransom. When they realise that other countries like Philippines and perhaps Vietnam and China and others are willing to provide maid service, the former will realise that they have made a bad decision.
I am sure that to the Indonesians, Malaysia is a land of milk and honey otherwise how do you explain the influx of their workers legally and illegally into this country? I feel that the Indonesian authorities should sit at the table to discuss ways and means to improve working conditions for their citizens here rather than making a mountain out of a molehill.
tkwah says
Perhaps a pragmatic solution is for the Malaysian government to quietly “freeze” all hiring from Indonesia and open the door of opportunity to other friendlier and less “threatening” countries. That way, the proud government and people of Indonesia can keep their national pride.
ita says
This issue has nothing to do with the upcoming election in Indonesia. It’s a “normal” daily news. If somebody thinks it’s related to the election, I would say he knows very little about this case. Dig deeper, you’ll find so many cases happening without the smell of elections. Election, election, election, stop it – this is about human rights not politics.
Just to let Malaysians know (in case they don’t know) and remind them (in case they forget ), an Indonesian, IF she knows how to speak fluent English, would NEVER want to be a house maid! So, if you demand a “smart” house maid from Indonesia, DREAM ON! Since your standard of intelligence is only being fluent in English. What a standard!
Do you know that many Malaysians do not know how to speak in English?
Do you know that a newborn baby can’t even say a word in English?
Do you think that the elderly only want to speak in English?
Do you think that a house maid’s task is only to clean up the house?
Do you know that many of them have to take care of the kids and the elderly too?
Malaysians, know your roots! Your ancestor might be Chinese , Indian, or even Indonesian! None of their original languages are English. Tak payah berlagak sangat lah!
Mister Potato says
At last – a solution to the demise of the English language in Malaysia – import dirt cheap economic migrants to speak English to Malaysia’s children. Perhaps if more Malaysians had better English they could also work as maids overseas.
But no – it’s the ones who aspire to greater things and who want a good education (in English or otherwise) who find themselves obliged to leave.
Just yesterday I met a couple planning to migrate to Australia to continue their studies because A – they couldn’t get a place in a Malaysian university, B – the qualifications they could get in Malaysia wouldn’t be of high enough standard to work at an international standard either at ‘home’ or elsewhere, and C – their ethnic background would automatically discriminate against them for further studies and/or an academic career. They felt sure that they could obtain PR in Australia through study and then, as foreigners in a foreign country, would have the same rights as other citizens whereas in their native country of Malaysia they could never hope to have such a chance for equal rights. This couple didn’t foresee returning to Malaysia except to visit family.
Why is this country still exporting its brightest people and importing ‘uneducated’ people who speak fluent English and will work for a pittance? Why are English language educated politicians insisting that English should be abolished in schools? Would Anwar Ibrahim be where he is today, (wherever that is) if he had only been educated in Malay?
Let the Filipinas come – it might be the only chance for the Malaysians of the future to learn to speak English.