How much should we pay maids?

V.K. Chin, The Star, Asia News Network, Selangor, Malaysia

One sticky point in the Memorandum of Understanding concerns the new salary scheme for Indonesian maids. Indonesia is asking for RM500, which is almost 20 percent more than the existing rate.

Understandably, the Malaysian government has disagreed with this new figure and prefers to hold further discussions with the Indonesian leaders to overcome this.

Indonesia's argument is that its maids are being paid the lowest compared to those working in Singapore and Hong Kong.

This may be so but then there is a difference in the quality between those maids and those employed here.

Further, Jakarta pointed out that by paying higher, better candidates could be sent here to justify its request. But this is debatable and it is not necessarily so nor that this promise will be implemented.

At present, getting a maid is akin to buying a lottery.

Sometimes, and with a lot of luck, the employers may be able to find good ones who can adjust to local conditions.

But most times, they are left with candidates who seem completely out of depth in the Malaysian home environment. This has given their employers a lot of problems and inconvenience.

What is in doubt about the quality of the maids, even with the acceptance of the Indonesian revised pay request, is that there is no guarantee that the employers will get superior ones.

This problem arises due to the dependence of the employers on the recruitment agencies, some of whom are already well known in the market for their tactics in taking advantage of their clients.

Many agencies have often supplied maids without abiding by the conditions asked for by the employers.

Should employers have the temerity to reject such candidates, they would be given the runaround, resulting in paying more for the new help not to mention the stress caused in the end.

Many Malaysians may be prepared to pay more for such maids but they must at least be assured that they are getting what they pay for. More pay must be accompanied by better performance and satisfaction.

At the same time, some employers should also not regard their maids as slaves and expect too much of them. Some maids have so much to do that they hardly have time to rest.

It is unreasonable to expect maids to cook, do the washing, clean the house daily and look after the children and to wash several cars a day too. Any worker would break down if obliged to perform so many chores day in, day out.

So the employers must be more considerate and if the maids are expected to do all these things, then they will have to be superhuman to satisfy their bosses.

And it is only with a lot of understanding and give-and-take that there will be harmony and peace between such employer- employee relationships.