Papa wants fees reduced
KUALA LUMPUR: The Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) will negotiate with its counterpart in Indonesia for a 10% to 15% reduction in agency fees charged for maids sent to Malaysia.
Its president Alwi Bavutty said Papa would discuss the matter with the Association of Maids in Indonesia after the signing of a new memorandum of understanding (MoU) between the two countries for the supply of maids. “The freeze on Indonesian maids is likely to be lifted,” he told The Star yesterday.
Alwi said Papa intended to ask for a 10% to 15% reduction in the RM5,000 to RM6,000 fee that employers currently had to pay via local maid agencies here to their Indonesian counterparts.
“Currently, we cannot reduce this sum because; from the RM7,000 to RM8,000 collected from employers, only RM1,000 to RM2,000 actually goes to us for agency fees, medical check-up and government levy,” he said.
Agency fees had increased over the years from more than RM2,000 previously to the current level, he said in response to complaints from employers that the current fees were too steep.
He said that under the new MoU, the Malaysian Government had agreed that each Indonesian maid be paid at least RM550 monthly, given a day off, had a bank account opened in her name and hold on to her own passport.
Indonesia decided to freeze the supply of maids to Malaysia last June following numerous complaints of maid abuse.
Alwi said the association also hoped to negotiate for a reduction in agency fees for maids from other countries.
He said Papa would propose in a meeting with the Home Ministry on Friday to have maids from Laos, Bangladesh and Timor Leste so Malaysia did not have to face severe shortage each time a source country decided to freeze supply.
Later, at the inaugural dinner to commemorate the annual general meeting, Labour Department director-general Datuk Ismail Abdul Rahim said Papa members must play a bigger role in light of the many issues affecting domestic maids.
“If the association can do that, it will be much easier for the Government to ensure the protection and welfare of the maids here to help us relieve the burden of working Malaysian women,” he said in a speech at a hotel here yesterday.
Source : The Star
