Migrant Care

Say "No" to Foreign Worker Monopoly Regimes

In Johor Baru, December 2, 1007, former Malaysia Health Minister had reminded the Malaysia Public on the Public health hazard imported by the Malaysia manpower agencies. Datuk Seri Dr. Chua Soi Lek, a medical professional turn politicians, had revealed the dangers of 25,000 to 30,000 people walking around us are with HIV, tuberculosis, Syphilis and Hepatitis's B and C.
The exorbitant medical check up fees imposed by Fomema at RM 190 for maids is far much higher than the similar service provided by Path Lab Sdn. Bhd. which offers at less than RM 100. While in Thailand it cost less than RM 56 per person for the similar medical check up.
Malaysia employers had paid handsome undeserving agency fee of RM 5,500 to RM 8,000 to hire a domestic worker through Malaysia maid agencies who are merely selling the bio-data through their agents, sub-agents and sales networks.
Since 1998, Maid agency fees had increased from RM 1,000 to RM 6,000 ( 500% ) while maid salary only increased from RM 350 to RM 450 per month( 28.57%). The maids are subjected to similar multilevel of the exploitations right from their door steps through the sponsors or middlemen in their home village.
On Jan 16, Home Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad announced that insurance for maids would be made compulsory and the Government would launch the scheme that cost the employers RM 75 per year as compare to the Jerneh Insurance Consortium scheme that cost RM 48 per year.
Employers should not judge the offers by PAPA by the face value only because the records shows PAPA has been the Bio-data traders and They are also sponsoring human trading sponsors to lure the poor villagers to work as maids in Malaysia.
Employers should demand for the lowering of agencies fees of hiring the Indonesian maids to RM 2,300 rather than been mislead by the supply and demand hypothesis mentioned by PAPA.
It is timely, Malaysian employers demand for the quality services from the Malaysian government at the affordable cost of hiring by terminating the rent seeking politically linked monopoly.
Government should demand the Fomema to immediately reduce it's fees or face the immediate termination and replacing its monopoly with the open tender approach by various medical laboratories.
Malaysian employers deserved to hire the foreign workers without going through the blood sucking foreign workers agencies that had been prospering from the sweats and bloods of the employers and maids.
Since October, 2007, Malaysia Ministry of Human Resources is still owing the Malaysian public an explanation of the 125,000 employers who failed to comply to the foreign labor insurance guidelines via the 283 outsourcing agents
We strongly support the Malaysia Ministry of Domestic Trade and Consumer Affairs' Smart consumers campaigns, Employers and maids deserve better without the carpet beggars who survive as parasites on the platform bureaucratic and monopoly at the expense of end users.
Say "No" to foreign workers monopoly regimes that destroy the Islamic Civilization pioneer by Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi
Kuala Lumpur, Tuesday, February 05, 2008
Migrant Care
Alex Ong