Monday, 24 September 2012
By Shane Worrell and Sen David
Phnom Penh Post 
Concerns have been raised about Singapore’s treatment of migrant workers. Photograph: Reuters/Phnom Penh Post
The Ministry of Labour has played down reports it is close to sending
domestic workers to Singapore, a country that has only recently granted
foreign maids a weekly day off.
The two countries’ governments had been in talks with Singapore’s Association of Employment Agencies about placing the Kingdom on a list of countries from which it can source maids, The Straits Times reported at the weekend.
Talks had begun some years ago, association president K Jayaprema said, but had recently been revived, the paper reported.
But Om Mean, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour, said yesterday Cambodia would not be sending domestic workers to Singapore – for now.
“Before we send workers anywhere, we must agree with the country and examine the labour conditions in that country first,” he said. “We will not be sending workers to Singapore yet.”
Mean said Cambodia’s focus was Qatar, following the Senate’s recent decision to allow workers to travel to the oil-rich Arab state.
Almost a year has passed since Cambodia banned maids from going to work in Malaysia following a spate of abuse.
The Cambodian embassy in Malaysia has already helped seven maids in Malaysia escape from abusive condit-ions this month, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release issued on Friday.
San Arun, secretary of state at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, said Cambodia continued to work towards a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia designed to protect migrant workers.
After criticism from rights groups, Singapore announced in March it was introducing a weekly rest day for new foreign workers as of January 1.
“As Singapore is among the few . . . receiving countries with no provisions for weekly rest days, this regulation is expected to enhance Singapore’s attractiveness as a destination for quality and experienced FDWs [foreign domestic workers],” Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower said at the time.
Rights groups have expressed concerns about how well the city-state will monitor this law.
Indonesia, which supplies more than half Singapore’s 200,000 foreign maids, has introduced tougher conditions to protect maids sent abroad.
The two countries’ governments had been in talks with Singapore’s Association of Employment Agencies about placing the Kingdom on a list of countries from which it can source maids, The Straits Times reported at the weekend.
Talks had begun some years ago, association president K Jayaprema said, but had recently been revived, the paper reported.
But Om Mean, secretary of state at the Ministry of Labour, said yesterday Cambodia would not be sending domestic workers to Singapore – for now.
“Before we send workers anywhere, we must agree with the country and examine the labour conditions in that country first,” he said. “We will not be sending workers to Singapore yet.”
Mean said Cambodia’s focus was Qatar, following the Senate’s recent decision to allow workers to travel to the oil-rich Arab state.
Almost a year has passed since Cambodia banned maids from going to work in Malaysia following a spate of abuse.
The Cambodian embassy in Malaysia has already helped seven maids in Malaysia escape from abusive condit-ions this month, according to a Ministry of Foreign Affairs press release issued on Friday.
San Arun, secretary of state at the Ministry of Women’s Affairs, said Cambodia continued to work towards a memorandum of understanding with Malaysia designed to protect migrant workers.
After criticism from rights groups, Singapore announced in March it was introducing a weekly rest day for new foreign workers as of January 1.
“As Singapore is among the few . . . receiving countries with no provisions for weekly rest days, this regulation is expected to enhance Singapore’s attractiveness as a destination for quality and experienced FDWs [foreign domestic workers],” Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower said at the time.
Rights groups have expressed concerns about how well the city-state will monitor this law.
Indonesia, which supplies more than half Singapore’s 200,000 foreign maids, has introduced tougher conditions to protect maids sent abroad.
To contact the reporter on this story: Shane Worrell at shane.worrell@phonmpenhpost.comSen David at david.sen@phnompenhpost.com
9 comments:
stupid khmer government also stupid khmer peoples likes to servant other nations as maid.
very poor knowledge, very poor brain
the minister of labor, Mr Vong S has no better idea except to send khmer peoples to servant other nation as maid,
can khmer peoples improve their life with high tech job ?????
instead of, to servant other nations as MAID ... suck suck,,
The Philippines, Vietnam, Thailand, Laos, India, Bangladesh, some countries of South Africa and South America, many of whom working as domestic help or something else, so, why not Cambodia? This is a part of potential economy for Cambodia and importantly, the government has to create a good mechanism in order to protect our workers abroad.
25 September 2012 12:32 AM
Your language did not show much about your smartness or intelligent, as you always believed.
Stop blame the Khmer people, they did nothing wrong.
Yes right! because of your Cpp clans stole all their land from their poor parents they can not farm or growing crops anymore they have to go abroad looking for work,there were nothing wrong with being a maid its honesty work.
You talk so arrogance because your ignorant head has no brain your words has no meaning to them at all,educate yourself how to talk eight with respect of humanity,no one wants to be a maid!...If your Cpp clans did not steal their land they probably farming with their families now as we speak,they don't have to go abroad risking abuse from stranger.
If you can't help be nice,don't be so arrogance,you should thank god that you're not among them,or thank your Cpp's corrupted pigs parents for stealing from these poor khmers,so you can sit you behind and criticize with an ignorant head to the poor khmers that work as a maid.....
Kmenhwatt.
Stupid you idiot talked shit nonsense! Cpp offspring lack of education in his/ her jungle's head talked so arrogant like their Cpp pigs parents k-v left over....
Khmers women are already slaves in the garment factories. Now they want to take more people to be slaves in other countries. What kind of a male would let his wife, daughters be slaves for another country or families. What if they got raped? So hurt by these males who would rather drink and smoke and let their own family suffer.
Don't talk so arrogant little Cpp offspring if Hun sen clans didn't steal their land they won't be a maid to no one! Cpp clans took their land sold to Yuon &Chen kept the money in their pocket,poor khmers landlesss went abroad be some one else maid.If you're not Cpp offspring you will be one of those maid/construction worker some where out there.You probably send your mother or you little sister to work as maid too....Don't be so arrogant ok congchor of Yuon Cpp!
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