May 25, 2007
PETALING JAYA: Malaysia is looking at getting maids from China and India as the number of Indonesian maids has dropped drastically over the years.
“We are exploring new countries before the shortage of maids turns into a serious problem for households and the nation.
“China and India are worth considering because many employers here are familiar with the languages and cultures,” said Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad.
Uzbekistan was also another potential source of supply, he added.
On the introduction of compulsory insurance for maids, Radzi said the annual premium would be about RM80 to cover situations such as death, accidents and hospitalisation.
“We want the maids to work in peace, knowing that they will be protected if anything bad happens,” he said after holding a closed-door meeting with Indonesia’s Minister of Manpower and Transmigration Erman Suparno.
Erman led a delegation of high-ranking officials to voice his government’s concern over media reports in Indonesia about alleged abuses by Rela personnel when conducting operations to detain illegal immigrants.
Radzi assured the Indonesian delegation that any Rela officer caught violating procedures would be punished.
He also stressed that Indonesians were not being singled out in operations to detain illegal immigrants.
