MALAYSIAN ASSOCIATION OF FOREIGN MAID URGES GOVT TO SOLVE MAID PROBLEM

-KUALA LUMPUR, Sept 6 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid
Agencies (PAPA) Monday urged the government to take the initiative to find out
from the Indonesian government its actual demands on domestic worker export from
the republic, rather than leaving the unresolved issue pending.

PAPA acting president Jeffrey Foo said it had been more than three months
since the protocol on the amendments to the 2006 memorandum of understanding
(MoU) was signed in May but no Indonesian maids were coming in.

He said PAPA had learned that one main hindrance to the Indonesian side
enforcing the MoU was the pricing factor which the industry in Indonesia felt
that the offered price stated in the protocol for Indonesian agents was far
lower than their cost.

"Should there be any disagreements on the amended protocol of the MoU which
was signed sometime ago, it should be solved by both countries immediately via
the spirit of neigbourhood to make it enforceable.

"We hope our Prime Minister Najib Tun Razak can intervene in this
problem," he said in a statement here Monday.

Foo also said Indonesian maids were been brought in via Journey
Performed
Visas, resulting in the maids been exploited by unscrupulous agents and uncaring
employers.

"The promised low fees structure never materialised, instead charges of
RM11,000 to RM12,000 (US$1=RM2.98) are being omposed on Malaysian employers," he
said.

Foo said the delay had resulted in the plight of Malaysian employers to
suffer from paying a high price for a domestic workers through the direct hiring
method whereas maid agencies suffered from no supply of domestic workers.

He also proposed to let the industries of both countries to spell out their
own terms and conditions as an alternative to the solution and forego the MoU.