The Star
PETALING JAYA: Distressed employers are seeking protection against fraudulent agencies and runaway maids.
Having lost large amounts of money to agencies that draw up lopsided contracts, the employers are hoping new regulations will be put in place to safeguard their interests.
An employer who only wanted to be known as Alan, 39, said he paid an agency RM11,500 for an Indonesian maid.
“We got a complete lunatic who carried a knife around with her,” he said, adding that the maid stole money, jewellery and his children’s clothes to send to her own family.
Having lost large amounts of money to agencies that draw up lopsided contracts, the employers are hoping new regulations will be put in place to safeguard their interests.
An employer who only wanted to be known as Alan, 39, said he paid an agency RM11,500 for an Indonesian maid.
“We got a complete lunatic who carried a knife around with her,” he said, adding that the maid stole money, jewellery and his children’s clothes to send to her own family.
“She threatened us with the knife when we confronted her,” he said, adding that the agency refused to give him a refund when he sent her back.
College lecturer S. Kumaran, 40, from Klang, lost RM6,000 in downpayment to a maid agency after their Sri Lankan maid left after just three months.
“She worked for exactly three months before suddenly claiming that her daughter was sick and that she had to go back to her country immediately,” he said.
Junaidah Ramadan, 52, said an agency collected RM7,000 from her before sending her a maid with a health problem.
“She could hardly walk, let alone do much work as she would experience severe pains in her joints,” Junaidah said, She added that the maid would often sit around and cry.
“The agency insisted that we pay half the original amount for a new maid, knowing that if we went to another agency, we would have to come up with another RM7,000,” she said.
An employer called Aileen lost her RM9,000 downpayment when her maid ran away after four months.
“The agencies make up their own rules that work to their benefit,” she said.
Bar Council chairman Ragunath Kesavan urged employers to lodge a complaint with the Human Resource Ministry or the Consumer Claims Tribunal if they suspected foul play by maid agencies.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty said maid agencies would be blacklisted if they would not provide a replacement if a maid ran away within the first three months.
College lecturer S. Kumaran, 40, from Klang, lost RM6,000 in downpayment to a maid agency after their Sri Lankan maid left after just three months.
“She worked for exactly three months before suddenly claiming that her daughter was sick and that she had to go back to her country immediately,” he said.
Junaidah Ramadan, 52, said an agency collected RM7,000 from her before sending her a maid with a health problem.
“She could hardly walk, let alone do much work as she would experience severe pains in her joints,” Junaidah said, She added that the maid would often sit around and cry.
“The agency insisted that we pay half the original amount for a new maid, knowing that if we went to another agency, we would have to come up with another RM7,000,” she said.
An employer called Aileen lost her RM9,000 downpayment when her maid ran away after four months.
“The agencies make up their own rules that work to their benefit,” she said.
Bar Council chairman Ragunath Kesavan urged employers to lodge a complaint with the Human Resource Ministry or the Consumer Claims Tribunal if they suspected foul play by maid agencies.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) president Alwi Bavutty said maid agencies would be blacklisted if they would not provide a replacement if a maid ran away within the first three months.
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