GOVT URGED TO REDUCE AGE REQUIREMENT FOR MAID RECRUITMENT TO 18

KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 17 (Bernama) -- The Working Committee of Maid Agencies that
was set up to look into the problem of shortage maids in the country has urged
the government to reduce the age requirement for maid recruitment to 18.

The current policy stipulates that maids must be between 21 and 41 years.

The committee's chairman Raja Zulkepley Dahalan said the step could help
increase entry of maids by 30 per cent, and in the process help the shortage of
maids in the county.

According to the latest figures, Malaysia is in need of some 60,000 maids at
present.

The shortage resulted after the Indonesian government imposed a freeze on the
export of maids in 2009.

Raja Zulkepley added that the committee, which represented some 100 maid
agencies, would raise the issue with Home Minister Hishammuddin Hussein if this
matter was not addressed within two weeks, as it had been already been raised by
maid agencies previously.
-- BERNAMA