Big Eye ... Everything About Nothing

I read in disgust the announcement that the government has agreed to make it compulsory for employers to give one day off a week for their domestic workers – all in the name of ‘welfare’. Indeed, it would seem that the policy-makers are more concerned with the welfare of foreigners at the expense of us tax-paying citizens.

Lately there has been much talk about the welfare of domestic workers, or rather the lack of such welfare by abusive employers.

While it may be true that some domestic workers from some neighbouring countries have been subject to unfair treatment, does it really make a compelling argument that this would be the norm? Should this be an allowable argument to push for punishment to all other employers, good and bad?

Going by recent developments, I guess it does. Too bad for the rest of us, huh?

For employers with small children, for example, the possibility of any sort of retaliation by mistreated maids is a constant and real threat. Just the thought of having a vengeful employee under the same roof when you and your kids go to bed at night would make your skin crawl.

Enough on welfare for the employees! I know of a few who treat their maids as they would members of their own families.

It’s about time somebody stood up for the welfare of employers. Sadly and rather unfortunately, welfare of employers has gained much less coverage and attention.

Let’s start with the question, ‘how much exactly does it cost to maintain a domestic helper?’

It starts with the ever increasing agency fees followed by the salary followed by everything from food to tooth brushes to slippers!

Let’s break that down just a bit for the high-and-mighty, just in case they have trouble understanding what the regular Joe’s and Jane’s have to endure. Agency fees alone would set you back perhaps RM4,000 – RM5,000. How many regular people do you know who even have that much in net salary?

Up-front salary of 6 months – at the recently suggested minimum of RM600 per month, a monkey would calculate that to be RM3,600. That’s a total of no less than RM7,600. Yeah, right! More like RM8,600 given what agencies are charging these days. All that goes to the employment agency. Sure, they claim that half of that goes to their counterparts in the originating county to cover things like ‘training’ – ever had a maid who didn’t know how to mop the floor? Go figure.

With a net salary of RM600, the maids are actually making more in monthly net cash flow than many employers. How much, really, do the policy makers think that the normal Malaysian makes in a normal month? How much do they think is spent on travel, food and accommodation – which is, by the way, things that domestic maids couldn’t give a hoot as they aren’t the ones coughing up the dough to keep the household up and running.

That brings a total of about RM20,000 every two years if the maid leaves after a two year (standard) contract. Sure, small change to some. Life savings for others.

Compulsory days off for domestic workers? Granted!

Oh my god! I’m at a loss for words. Just because they can does not give them the right to do it. Would you really want your maid frolicking with other immigrants? Have you not heard the horror stories of robberies and murder that have arisen in the past, allegedly relating to links between domestic maids with persons they meet outside?

What about the cases of maids having too much fun and end up pregnant? Or those who just run away?

Who then foots the bill for a replacement? Reimbursement for robbery victims? The re-incarnation of the murdered?

What else? Higher pay and private medical treatment? Great idea! Why not also bundle in provisions for overtime for work done before 8.30am and after 5.30pm? Don’t forget triple pay for work on weekends and gazetted holidays while you are at it.

While you are at work, does your maid work non-stop throughout the day as you do in the office? Come on, get real! One of my previous maids once complained that she had not had her dinner at 8pm – fair enough as she was hungry. Thing is, on other normal working days I was going home and having my dinner way past 10pm. I don’t hear any employee associations blaring the horn for us middle-income workers.

Already hostages of the situation, employers will soon have less take-home pay then the people they employ. Some already do.

Now, with deepest gratitude to those who selfishly impose the new regulations, I’ll just have to get my three year old kid to lie comatose one day of each week while his mother and me eek out a living – and the maid enjoys her day off!


Ed: Of course to understand the context, one would have to be familiar with the Country and everything relevant to the topic.