MAIDS IN MALAYSIA TO GET A DAY OFF A WEEK

KUALA LUMPUR, June 17 (Bernama) -- The Malaysian government Tuesday agreed
to make it compulsory for employers to give one day off a week for their maids.

Human Resources Minister Dr S. Subramaniam said the provision would be
incorporated into the contract of employment to be signed by employers, maids
and the agencies responsible for bringing them into the country.

He did not say when the regulation could take effect but said that it could
be implemented as early as this year.

"The ministry will make it mandatory for all domestic helpers to sign the
contract of employment containing provisions like salary, the name of employers,
their workplaces and the compulsory one day off a week," he told reporters after
meeting unions and non-governmental organisations on the issue of foreign
workers here.

Subramaniam said it would be up to the employers to determine which day
would be the maids' off day.

If both the employers and workers agreed that there would not be an off day
for a particular week, the maids would be paid with salary in lieu of the off
day, he said.

Towards this end, he said the ministry would amend the Employment Act to
incorporate the new provision.

"The Employment Act currently covers all other sectors except for maids. We
are now in the process of formulating the regulation, after which we will
forward it to the Attorney-General's Chambers for approval.

"We may be able to implement it this year," he said.

Subramaniam also said that employers of foreign maids would be required to
register with the Labour Department as part of the measures to prevent incidents
such as abuse of maids.

"We will also provide a guide book to foreign maids, containing telephone
numbers of embassies and relevant agencies for them to contact should they need
to do so," he added.

Employers who failed to abide by the terms in the contract of employment
could be fined up to RM10,000, he said.

-- BERNAMA