Confirmed Indonesia is asking RM800 wage for maids - Dr S. Subramaniam

By SARBAN SINGH

SEREMBAN: Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam has confirmed that Indonesia is demanding a RM800 minimum salary for its domestic maids, saying that it is under “pressure” to do so from the republic’s local media.

Dr Subramaniam said the Indonesian government had little choice but to do so following reports by its media of so-called rampant abuse of maids by Malaysian employers.

He said the RM800 wage demand was discussed during a meeting between ministry officials and their Indonesian counterparts in Putrajaya two weeks ago.

“We told them that this is not fair as 99.9% of the 280,000 Indonesian maids here are treated well.

“Only 0.1% may be ill-treated or not have their salaries paid but they (the Indonesian government) are being pressured by their media,” he said here Saturday.

Indonesian maids in the country are now being paid an average of between RM450 and RM600 monthly.

Asked if he thought the amount was high, Subramaniam said the ministry would wait for the outcome of the next meeting in Jakarta.

“I do not want to pre-empt it. I have told my officers what they should do. Let us wait and see if this is agreed to by our Indonesian counterparts,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam was responding to reports quoting Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia Da’i Bachtiar as saying that Jakarta would be making the higher wage demand in its negotiations.

Asked if his ministry had contingency plans in case Jakarta refused to budge, Dr Subramaniam said Malaysian employers could source their domestic maids from other countries.

“We should also stop relying on foreign maids. It is high time we become self-reliant.

“We allow employers to bring in maids from Cambodia, Laos, Sri Lanka and the Philippines. “We have also thought about China but there have been some debate here if this should be allowed,” he said.

Dr Subramaniam said it was also a known fact that when the government of a source country had asked for exorbitant wages for their maids, the demand from Malaysians would fall.

“We used to have more than 10,000 maids from the Philippines previously. The number has since fallen to 8,000. Malaysians have a choice where they wish to get their maids from,” he added. - The Star

RM800 gaji minimum pembantu rumah asing terlalu tinggi

KUALA LUMPUR 5 Sept — Cadangan gaji minimum RM800 untuk pembantu rumah warga asing adalah terlalu tinggi dan tidak mampu dibayar oleh ramai majikan, kata Menteri Pembangunan Wanita, Keluarga dan Masyarakat Datuk Seri Shahrizat Abdul Jalil.

Beliau berkata jika gaji minimum ini dikuatkuasakan, implikasinya ramai wanita tempatan yang berkeluarga akan menarik diri daripada pasaran pekerjaan untuk menguruskan rumah tangga masing-masing.

“Penglibatan wanita dalam pasaran pekerjaan akan terus menurun daripada tahap 45.7 peratus pada masa ini dan ini akan menyebabkan penurunan kadar pertumbuhan ekonomi negara kerana tenaga wanita adalah antara aset pembangunan negara,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini hari ini.

Shahrizat mengulas laporan akhbar Indonesia semalam bahawa negara itu akan meminta gaji minimum sebanyak RM800 untuk pembantu rumah warganya pada mesyuarat keempat Jawatankuasa Kerja bagi Pengambilan dan Penempatan Pembantu Rumah Indonesia yang diadakan di Jakarta, Indonesia hari ini.

Beliau berkata isu gaji minimum pembantu rumah warga asing perlu dikaji dengan teliti sebelum apa-apa keputusan dibuat oleh Kementerian Sumber Manusia kerana Akta Kerja 1955 tidak menetapkan gaji minimum untuk mana-mana sektor pekerjaan di negara ini.

“Sebagai sebuah negara yang mengamalkan konsep ekonomi terbuka, gaji bagi sesuatu sektor ditentukan oleh daya pasaran sedia ada,” katanya.

Beliau berkata Malaysia tidak boleh mengadakan gaji minimum untuk sesuatu sektor pekerjaan sahaja seperti sektor pembantu rumah kerana ia akan menimbulkan implikasi kepada sektor pekerjaan yang lain.

Mengenai persetujuan Malaysia dan Indonesia untuk membenarkan pembantu rumah Indonesia diberi cuti sehari dalam seminggu yang dicapai pada mesyuarat jawatankuasa itu pada 20 Ogos lepas, Shahrizat berkata ia merupakan satu yang munasabah dan mekanismanya perlu diperhalusi.

Penguatkuasaan cuti tersebut dilaporkan akan hanya berkuatkuasa setelah Akta Kerja 1955 dipinda.- Utusan

Gaji amah RM800, tunggu keputusan mesyuarat: Subramaniam

SEREMBAN: Kerajaan tidak mahu buat kenyataan berhubung isu tuntutan gaji pembantu rumah kepada RM800 sebulan, sehingga hasil mesyuarat kedua Jawatankuasa Bersama Malaysia dan Indonesia di Jakarta hari ini, diketahui.

Menteri Sumber Manusia, Datuk Dr S Subramaniam, berkata beliau tidak mahu membuat apa-apa pengumuman mengenainya sebelum mesyuarat itu berakhir.

"Saya sudah maklumkan kepada pegawai saya mengenai perkara yang perlu dibincangkan pada mesyuarat tersebut dan kita tunggu hasilnya. Saya akan umumkan selepas mendapat penjelasan daripada pegawai saya," katanya.- Berita Harian

JPN diminta jelaskan dakwaan PATI jadi warganegara

TAWAU: Jabatan Pendaftaran Negara (JPN) diminta menjelaskan dakwaan sebuah parti pembangkang kononnya ada usaha daripada jabatan itu mendaftar pendatang tanpa izin (PATI) sebagai warga negara di Kalabakan.

Ahli Parlimen Kalabakan, Datuk Abdul Ghapur Salleh, berkata penjelasan dan siasatan itu perlu memandangkan beliau sendiri ada menerima aduan kononnya usaha pendaftaran berkenaan dibuat di Kampung Kalabakan Tengah pada bulan lalu.

Katanya, dakwaan itu sudah menimbulkan kerisauan di kalangan penduduk dan masyarakat tempatan kerana ia membabitkan pemberian kewarganegaraan kepada penduduk asing yang tidak berkelayakan.

“Kita harap dakwaan ini dapat disahkan kebenarannya oleh pihak yang bertanggungjawab dan Ketua Kampung yang dikatakan terbabit dalam perkara ini juga perlu dipanggil untuk disiasat,” katanya dalam satu kenyataan di sini.

Beliau berkata demikian ketika mengulas kenyataan Timbalan Ketua Parti Keadilan Rakyat (PKR) Sabah, Datuk Kong Hong Ming yang mendakwa wujudnya usaha mendaftarkan PATI di Kampung Kalabakan Tengah bagi mendapatkan MyKad, seperti yang disiarkan oleh akhbar tempatan baru-baru ini.

Dalam kenyataan itu, Kong mendakwa ramai PATI dari luar sudah dibawa ke kampung terbabit menggunakan bas dan teksi untuk mendaftar di dalam operasi yang didakwanya dijalankan kakitangan JPN Tawau dan Kota Kinabalu. - Berita Harian

Solution to maid issue

KUALA LUMPUR: The government is hopeful that tomorrow's meeting with Indonesia will reopen the door to Indonesian maids wanting to work in Malaysia.

Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam said this was because both parties had reached a general agreement on most of the issues at their previous meeting on Aug 20.

He said the Working Committee on the Recruitment and Placement of Maids would meet in Jakarta tomorrow to iron out the remaining issues.

Speaking after handing out Social Security Organisation (Socso) claims totalling RM466,000 to 34 people here yesterday, Subramaniam said he expected an agreement to be reached tomorrow regarding the issues of payment, salary and agent rates.

"However, these are not major issues, so they can be settled quite easily."

Subramaniam said the government was ready to resolve the matter as Indonesian maids were valuable to Malaysia being the first choice for most people.

"On our side, we are positive that we have made the necessary changes, including allowing a day off which initially did not go down well with our employers.

"We've no choice but to manage all these tricky issues to enable the continued availability of Indonesian maids although we want the maids to remain affordable to the employers."

Subramaniam said maids and their employers could specify in their work contracts based on ministry guidelines on the allowance the maid was to be paid if she agreed to work on her weekly off day.

He said the one-off-day ruling would come into effect sometime next year following the amendments to the Employment Act 1955 at the next Parliament sitting.

Indonesia stopped its nationals from coming to Malaysia to work as maids two months ago following the reported abuse of one of them. - NST