Foreign maid manual issued

Foreign maid manual issued

SINGAPORE (DPA): Singapore employers of foreign domestic workers will soon have a "maid manual" advising them to make sure their employees have enough rest and describing Filipino, Indonesian and Sri Lankan cultures, the Ministry of Manpower said Saturday.

The ministry targeted maid employers first since this group hires the largest number of foreign workers in the city-state but plans similar information kits for the construction and manufacturing sectors.

Cases of maid abuse have been prominent in the media recently. There have also been reports of abusive maids, such as an Indonesian charged with pouring sulfuric acid into the mouth of a three-month-old baby.

Then Yee Thoong, the ministry's divisional director in charge of foreign manpower employment, said the kit setting out everything an employer should know about employing and training a foreign maid should be distributed to all employers this month.

Employers are exhorted to train the maid and ensure she receives enough privacy and rest.

In the cultural guidelines, it notes Filipinos often wear slippers at home in the belief the practice wards off rheumatism.

"A note written in red ink to an Indonesian maid indicates the writer is angry with her," it advises.

A dictionary of everyday terms informs an employer of basic words in Bahasa Indonesia, Tagalog and Sinhalese.