Friday August 4, 2006
Indon maids come cheaper By V.P. SUJATA [EMAIL PROTECTED] PUTRAJAYA: Employers now only need pay a maximum of RM3,700 to maid agencies to recruit Indonesian maids. The amount includes the fees for both local and Indonesian agents, processing fees and airfare. Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Mohd Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the figure was finalised during the final round of discussions with his Indonesian counterpart in Kota Kinabalu last week. Previously, the agents fee stood at RM5,500 which was due to market forces, he said. Now the sum to be paid by employers has been reduced by RM1,900. Employers need not pay more than RM3,700, he said. (It is learnt that of the amount, RM1,000 is the fee paid to the local agent and RM1,700 to the Indonesian agent, RM500 as processing fee, and another RM500 as transportation cost.) Radzi added that the sum was only applicable to Indonesian maids and may differ for maids from other countries, depending on the distance to the maids country of origin. The agreement was made following the signing of a memorandum of understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia in Bali earlier this year, he said. The terms and conditions of the MoU took effect on June 13, he said, adding that the implementation of the new ruling was now being finalised. With the fees havingt been finalised, employers can go ahead to fix the salary with their maids, sign a contract, and open a bank account, he told reporters after visiting the Low-Cost Carrier Terminal in Sepang yesterday. Radzi added that Malaysians could also bring in Indonesian maids without the involvement of maid agencies, provided they met all the requirements by Indonesia and Malaysia. Foreign Maid Agents Association vice-president Jeffrey Foo said it was fantastic if the fees paid to the Indonesian agent was only RM1,700 for each maid. If this is the case, I wish to say thank you to the negotiation team. I also hope our Indonesian counterparts will abide by the ruling, Foo said, adding that Indonesian agents previously charged up to RM3,400 per maid. Meanwhile, on claims of delay in the issuance of visas for skilled workers, Radzi said it occured at the approval stages at the various ministries. On his visit to the LCCT, Radzi said they would improve facilities for passengers on transit and also check on entry visa and transit visa problems. http://thestar.com.my/news/story.asp?file=/2006/8/4/nation/15047730&sec=nation Web: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ Klik: http://mediacare.blogspot.com atau www.mediacare.biz Untuk berlangganan MEDIACARE, kirim email kosong ke: [EMAIL PROTECTED] Yahoo! Groups Links <*> To visit your group on the web, go to: http://groups.yahoo.com/group/mediacare/ <*> To unsubscribe from this group, send an email to: [EMAIL PROTECTED] <*> Your use of Yahoo! Groups is subject to: http://docs.yahoo.com/info/terms/
