EMPLOYERS CAN HIRE HOUSEMAIDS WITHOUT GOING THROUGH AGENTS

KUALA LUMPUR, June 4 (Bernama) -- Employers can hire Indonesian housemaids without going through agents or a recruitment agency once procedures in the Memorandum of Understanding (MoU) between Malaysia and the republic signed last May have been finalised, disclosed Human Resource Minister Dr. S. Subramaniam.

"For example, if the employer has an Indonesian housemaid whose contract was expiring and she wanted to return to her country, a member of her family would be allowed to replace her without going through the agency," he said after the launching of the national-level "My Skills 2011" programme by MIC President G Palanival at the University of Malaya, here Sunday.

He said both countries were refining the details in the MoU including listing out the procedures that employers need to adhere to.

He also disclosed that his Ministry and the Home Affairs Ministry had met with the relevant agencies on the rate that foreign maid recruitment agencies could charge.

"Of the 100 agencies that we met more than 30 have agreed on RM4,511 (US$1,501) as stated in the MoU," he said.

-- BERNAMA