Lately, were have been reading in the newspapers and watching in the news broadcasts that a lot of tragedies have happened involving maids in Malaysia.

These included employers pouring hot water onto the maid every time she made a mistake, using a rotan to beat her resulting in wounding and bleeding and even pouring hot oil onto the body of the maid.

If you asked a maid employer (normally the lady to the house), she would have a long list to complaints against the maid. Are these complaints genuine or fabricated?

In most of the cases, the complaints are genuine but magnified to a certain extent. However, employers of maids should b ear in their mind that no matter what it is, they shouldn't harm the maids physically.

The only options are:

a. To counsel the maid by communicating peacefully with her and getting her side of the story.

In no circumstances should you manhandle her.

b. Scolding is accepted but it should not be excessively abusive.

c. If it has exceeded beyond the tolerable level, then a complaint to the agent with proof of what

has happened must be made.

As a remedy, the employee can go for a replacement maid or could terminate the agreement with the agency.

In some cases, the maid is the complainant. Then the agent should handle the case if it is within the agents’ jurisdiction. If not, then, the case should be reported to the police.

Employers’ inhuman treatment and sexual abuse of the maids are the two most notorious complaints .

The judge, after weighing all the facts of the case, will release his verdict. This verdict would bind the maid, the agent and the employer.

We should pity the maids who undergo pressure from not only their employers but also from their family members back home. Quite recently, the majority of maid employers voiced their disagreement to a day off for the maids as proposed by the government.

Lastly, I would like to state that the agents and employers must have mutual trust and mutual respect when dealing with maids from overseas.