Maid agency fee need to be reduced

The foreign maid recruitment agencies have been alleged to have imposed a high recruitment agency fee and the Human Resource Ministry is studying the matter to look for ways to reduce the agency fee.

Discussion is still ongoing with our Indonesian counterpart to resolve this contentious issue before signing the MoU, said Minister Dr. S. Subramaniam.

On matter relating to monthly wages, he said, it will depend on the prevailing market rate.

Minister Dr. S. Subramaniam was speaking to reporters after officiating the World Workplace Safety and Health Day at a construction site of Malbourough College here in Nusajaya yesterday.

He added that the government has never restrict the recruitment of housemaids from other countries besides Indonesia where there is a necessity to find ways to reduce the high recruitment agency fee.

“It’s now up to the prospective employers whether they would like to opt for housemaids from other countries such as Sri Lanka, India, Myanmar, Cambodia or Philippines”, said Minister Dr. S. Subramaniam.

To date, Indonesian and Cambodian top the list of  housemaids employed as compared to other nationalities and not many prospective employers are willing to engage Filipino housemaids due to the higher asking monthly salary.