Response has been swift and varied to the plight of Siti Hajar, an Indonesian maid, who alleged that she was abused, tortured and maltreated by her employer who has since been arrested. There is a hotline for maids 03-88889111 – but how many maids know about this? Wanita MCA has proposed a law to compel agencies to visit foreign maids at least twice a year. The Human Resources Minister said: “The Ministry will make it mandatory for all domestic helpers to sign the contract of employment containing provisions like salary, the name of the employers, their workplaces and the compulsory one day off a week.”
These proposals have met with strong opposition from the Foreign Maids’ Agencies Association (PAPA). 769 employers responded to The Star sms poll on the idea of granting maids a day off every week. 76.1% (585 respondents) said “no”.
Irene Fernandez, the director of Tenaganita, said the organisation’s work with domestic workers had shown that “the key cause of continued abuse, violence and exploitation is both employer and state regarding a maid’s work environment – the home – as being a private domain.”
“Thus, an outsider cannot interfere in this private domain and so the abuse continues,” she said.
Fernandez said the exclusion of maids from the Employment Act 1955 denies them the right to days off, medical and social security benefits, overtime pay and annual leave.
She also took enforcement agencies to task for their slow investigations. “The maid is a human being with dignity, rights and needs, so it is essential for the state and the community to ensure she is adequately protected.”
More about this subject next week.
The Micah Mandate is a Christian-based public interest advocacy ministry that seeks a transformation of our nation through justice, mercy and humility.
