Indonesia to Stop Sending Maids to Malaysia due Employers Abuses

The government’s order will take effect Friday following complaints of abuse by some misguided Malaysian employers.

Other Asian countries that are sending maids to work in Malaysia have reported abuses by some Malaysian employers as documented by the victims themselves. The reported abuses committed range from physical abuse, attempted rapes, long working hours and non-payment of wages.

The latest case to gain media attention involved a 33-year-old Indonesian maid who escaped this month, claiming she was scalded with hot water and beaten.

Yahoo news reports:

More than 300,000 Indonesian women work as maids in Malaysia. Around 3,000 new maids head for Malaysia every month, most of them placed through specialized employment agencies, the Manpower Ministry said.

Maids file up to 150 complaints every month with authorities in Indonesia, alleging ill treatment, overwork, unpaid salaries and physical abuse in Malaysia

Indonesian Manpower Minister Erman Suparno justified the government action saying that "We want to protect our migrant workers from contract violations and physical abuse," Malaysian Home Minister Hussein on the other hand said that Malaysia may have to look elsewhere to fill up the needs of Malaysian employers. Malaysia may switch to neighboring Asian countries that are members of the Association fo Southeast Asian Nations (Asean) for their new source of domestic helpers of maids. The Philippines is one of these countries that may bewilling to send domestic helpers to Malaysia.