SOME US$140 MINIMUM WAGE FOR INDONESIAN MAID SUFFICIENT

By Ahmad Fuad Yahya

JAKARTA, May 12 (Bernama) -- A minimum wage of RM450 (US$140) a month is
sufficient for Indonesian maids in Malaysia, an Indonesian entrepreneur said.

Senator Parlindungan Purba, the Indonesian Entrepreneur Association
president, said the rise in minimum wage cannot be avoided as other countries
had been offering a more competitive wage structure although there was also a
huge deduction from the workers' salaries.

"The minimum wage now is RM350 (US$109). It would suffice if this can be
increased to RM450," he said.

Malaysia and Indonesia are currently negotiating the minimum wage for
Indonesian maids prior to signing a new memorandum of understanding to put in
place a mutually-beneficial arrangement for the maids and their employers.

Indonesia reportedly asked for a minimum wage of RM600 (US$187) a month as a
condition for agreeing to send maids to Malaysia.

Indonesia is still imposing a temporary ban on the sending of maids to the
neighbouring country.

Apart from the minimum wage issue, the high cost of sending workers to
Malaysia also prove to be a burden for the maids as well as employers.

Malaysian employers need to pay agents up to RM8,000 (US$2,492) for each
maid and would recover part of the cost by deducting money from the maid's
salary, causing dissatisfaction, with some resorting to running away from their
employers.

This amounts to a loss for the employers who have paid a huge sum to bring
them in.

Then there is also the issue of contract and the parties who should be
held
responsible should these problems occur.


The high cost may cause a backlash, with countries such as Saudi Arabia
already mulling over stopping the intake of Indonesian maids.

The Malaysian Embassy here has been facilitating meetings of foreign
workers' agents of both countries, resulting in both sides agreeing to bring
down the cost to an appropriate level.

A mutually-beneficial agreement is therefore important for both countries.

By having maids, women in Malaysia would be able to work and contribute to
the nation's economy.

This would also ease unemployment in Indonesia and in some ways, help the
republic's economy as these maids would be sending money home.

-- BERNAMA



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