By Ram Anand
The Malay Mail
Thursday, November 10th, 2011
PETALING JAYA: A Cambodian parliamentarian says she is not here to extract an apology over alleged abuses on its citizens working as domestic helpers in Malaysia.
Mu Sochua (pictured), a prominent member of opposition party Sam Rainsy Party (SRP), said she wanted a mechanism to protect maids following a freeze on their employment in Malaysia by her government last month.
She was responding to Deputy Foreign Minister A. Kohilan Pillay’s statement that an apology would be made if the maid abuse allegations were true.
“There is no point issuing an apology if we do not address the issue," Mu Sochua said at a Press conference at the Tenaganita headquarters in Jalan Gasing yesterday.
"It is time for both governments to take stock and come out with standardised measures to protect these women coming in as domestic workers.”
On Oct 15, Cambodian Prime Minister Hun Sen issued a circular declaring a temporary suspension on the training and sending domestic workers to Malaysia following allegations of abuse cases.
Mu Sochua said Malaysia had to provide clear standards for Cambodian maids for the moratorium to be lifted.
“Firstly, the prime minister (of Cambodia) has clearly outlined the importance of having at least one day off. And a domestic worker should only work eight hours a day, not 24 hours.”
She also wanted both countries to adopt measures based on global domestic worker standards set by the International Labour Organisation (ILO) convention and the Asean migrant workers declaration.
However, Mu Sochua admitted Cambodia would also need to take definitive measures in standardising the terms for domestic workers first.
“We need to have a ceiling to ensure we send quality domestic workers, not merely to fulfill Malaysia’s demand. We need to make sure measures are taken at our country before it can be adopted at another country.”
Mu Sochua has discussed the issue with several Malaysian MPs, including R. Sivarasa (Subang), Dr Michael Jeyakumar Devaraj (Sungai Siput), Tian Chua (Batu) and Charles Santiago (Klang).
Improve protection for domestic helpers, says Tenaganita
THE ban by the Cambodian government on sending domestic workers to Malaysia is a sign that the government here should review its standards and protection for maids, both foreign and local.
Tenaganita executive director Dr Irene Fernandez said that with the Cambodian ban, Malaysia has now faced domestic worker bans from two countries, after a moratorium was imposed by Indonesia two years ago.
“It is time to review and hand out standardised contracts to all domestic workers, regardless of which country they come from,” she told The Malay Mail.
“The Indonesia moratorium, in a way, contributed to the massive demand for Cambodian maids but now we can’t do that, we will be hiring maids from Laos or Myanmar, but doing so would represent a ‘retarded’ approach."
Fernandez said Tenaganita, which championed the rights of immigrants and workers, along with the Bar Council, submitted a memorandum to Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam last year with a proposal to standardise such contracts.
"We will revive that dialogue soon. We need to have clarity in defining the rights of maids. You can’t say they can have Sunday off and then also say they can work overtime on Sunday. There needs to be definite measures,” she said.
After the Indonesian ban, an estimated 40,000 families in Malaysia were reportedly waiting for maids.
There are bout 34,000 Cambodian maids here.
Maids in Malaysia
● There are some 34,000 Cambodian maids in Malaysia with 30,000 coming in the last year alone.
● There are at least 3,000 maids in recruitment agencies in Cambodia who have received approval but are unable to travel to Malaysia because of the ban.
● There are at least 40,000 families in Malaysia waiting for a domestic helper.
● Abuse cases before the Indonesian domestic worker ban was imposed June 2009 stood at more than 1,000 a year.
● About 200 Cambodian domestic worker abuse cases in Malaysia have been reported so far.
● The findings have been documented and published by Human Rights Watch and the book was launched in Cambodia on Nov 1.
● The Cambodian prime minister reportedly demanded Cambodian domestic workers in Malaysia be given at least a day off in a week. The workers should only be required to work eight hours a day.
● Before this, Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam mooted the possibility of having a language orientation programme for domestic workers in future.
● The International Labour Organisation (ILO) Convention No. 189 has outlined global standards for domestic workers, including prohibition of salary deductions to repay recruitment fees.
● In 2015, there will be an integration of labour standards among the 10 Asean member countries.
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