HOME MANAGERS, THE 'ANSWER' TO FOREIGN MAIDS

By Rohana Mustaffa

KUALA LUMPUR, March 16 (Bernama) -- An Indonesian housemaid became 'elated'
after hearing news on the revival of calls for the salary of a housemaid from
her homeland to be revised to RM800 (US$241) a month with some perks also added
in.

In response, her bemused employer said, "it can be arranged " provided the
housemaid agrees to stay at a rented home and commute to her workplace daily.
Obviously, the employer borrowed the idea from the 'home manager' who offers to
work in residences at almost the same amount of salary.

Just who are the home managers?

They are Malaysians and do not 'live in' with their employers. They report
to work according to the agreed hours daily and are entitled to their off days.
They attended two weeks of training conducted by the Women Development
Department (JPW) before being issued a certificate that qualifies them to work
in homes and residences.

Last year, the department trained about 600 home managers aged 18 and above.
The trainees were coached by accredited consultants on the various aspects of
professional home management.

The training also included theory and practical work, tutelage on the
profession's ethics as well as aspects like childcare and that for senior
citizens, health and nutrition.

TRAIN THE TRAINERS

Before that, the JPW has to train the trainers first for this basic course.
The trainers or consultants were from a company appointed by the department.

A Negeri Sembilan consultant, who is also the Negeri Sembilan Association of
Childcare president Rozita Kamil said their focus is to train participants to
become professional home managers.

Before being accepted into the programme, the prospective trainees were
screened in aspects of health and criminal record. They were also evaluated on
other skills apart from being ascertained to have a keen interest in the field.

The home manager's concept is gaining popularity as there have been negative
media reports concerning foreign housemaids. For example, an artiste recently
reported that her foreign housemaid was a mental case, liked to damage her
properties and suspected to have abused her child.

Many employers have also complained that their foreign housemaids were lazy,
did not know how to operate the home appliances and did not understand simple
communication.

Then why not hire home managers whose health and capability assured?

ADVERTISING IN CYBER SPACE

A home manager has went a step ahead, by advertising her services in
the Internet.

"No time to tidy up your home? Need an assistant to help you manage your
house? Need someone to care for senior citizens/the disabled/children/infants?

"Then get the services of a home manager for your residence today. The fees
can be negotiated...“

Rubiah Othman, 40, who attended the first home managers course in Melaka
along with 29 others, is now collaborating with her friend to offer childcare
and home management services according to hours.

Armed with the JPW certificate, she is offering her services via the
Internet and so far the response is good. Those who wished for their house to
be cleaned over the weekend and teachers who needed baby-sitters while they
attended courses or school activities have sought her assistance.

Also in cyber space are several accredited home management consultants or
service providers who invited those who are interested to undergo training in
home management and offered trained home managers to potential employers.

CONDITIONS

Various conditions have been proposed before employers are allowed to hire
foreign maids to avoid incidences of abuse. Among them are the higher salary and
one day off in a week.

The latest being the requirement for employers to attend the seminar on
responsibility and rights of the housemaids.

As for the JPW, it had stipulated several conditions for the hiring of home
managers. One, the dealing must be with consultants registered with the
department and the employers are married couples with children below 17 or
senior citizens/handicapped family members who need care.

To ensure that there is no pay abuse, the JPW made it a condition that the
employer's earnings must not be below than RM3,000 a month and the employer
keeps a record on the home manager's salary and produces it upon request by the
department.

The salary should be paid in the last week of the month the latest and the
employers are not allowed to assault, abuse and cause injury to the home
manager. Otherwise they will be blacklisted.

Employers and home managers are required to adhere to all to the matters
agreed to in the employment agreement.

PRIVACY

According to Rozita who is the founder of MURNI Childcare and
Development Centre in Seremban and Kuala Lumpur, a significant aspect in the
concept is that the home managers are not allowed to 'stay in' with their
respective employers.

This is to ensure the privacy of the employers and their family
particularly at night.

“This is a healthy condition, to encourage strong family ties as the
inclination now is too much dependence on housemaids in taking care of the
family and also the housekeeping as some of the employers are busy
round-the-clock," she said.

The home managers trained by JPW do not necessarily work from 8am to 5pm as
there are those who offer housekeeping and baby-sitting services for only
a few hours a day. This is ideal when the employers are attending seminars,
courses or even dinner functions.

LIGHTEN THE TASK

For 45-year-old Maznah Ahmad, being a fulltime housewife does not mean that
there is enough time in doing house chores as she has her hands full with
various responsibilities like buying groceries at the market, sending and
picking up her children from school and tuition classes apart from cooking and
others.

Hence, she decided to hire a home manager to assist her in housekeeping
matters such as doing the laundry, cleaning up the house and ironing the
clothes.

"At least it lightens my duties and I do not need a housemaid that lives
with us apart from not having to pay the for the levy, permit and other fees
needed for the hiring of foreign housemaids," she said.

Maznah calls for more Malaysians to work as home managers as their services
are required not only by the working mothers, but also by the housewives as
well.

Home managing consultant Norma Abd Wahab said the demand for home managers
now has exceeded offer and she really hopes that more Malaysians will take up
the career particularly with the availability of job training, assistance in
placement of work apart from conducive working environment.


HEALTHY DEVELOPMENT

For Rozita, the objective of offering the home managing service is not only
to reduce dependency on foreign housemaids but also to develop a healthy
environment where children are taken care by locals who are more tuned to the
Malaysian culture and practices.

The children are also in safe hands as the people who are taking care of
them are well trained, she said.

Instead of hiring foreigners to work as housemaids, why not hire well
trained Malaysains to do the job for the same amount of money and if the tag
'maids' is thought to be unpleasant, degrading and and low in status, then the
term ' home manager' should fit the bill, said Rozita.

“We want to make the career as a home manager to be respected and liked by
Malaysians,” she said, adding that advanced courses to make home managers more
professional in their job, should be held.

"Remember the Nanny", said Rozita referring to a popular sitcom television
series in the United States.

The sitcom was about a stylish and cheerful woman who worked as an assistant
for her employer, a man with his three children. She came daily to her
employer's residence to manage the household and she was respected and adored by
the family.

Therefore, if you have problems with your foreign housemaids, do not
hesitate but get your home manager.

-- BERNAMA