new Like many Malaysians, I was taken aback and saddened that the immigration department is going ahead to implement a policy of ensuring that the Muslim maids are employed by Muslims and vice versa.

The senior official has claimed that this is designed to ensure that rights of Muslim maids are protected.

I find this claim to be rather appalling as it has not been supported by any statistics. Can the department release any data to this effect?

On face value, it suggests that the department is imposing o­n itself a non-existent religious duty without taking into consideration the consequences of its actions.

It would also be interesting to find out if there were any non-Muslim officers in the committee that came up with this suggestion. After all, the maids can o­nly be brought in by accredited agencies. If something is amiss, why not get to the agencies concerned and sort the matter out?

Most Malaysians have been sensitised o­n religious and racial aspects, so much so that o­nly fools would embark o­n any discriminatory practices. If it is so, then why not drag these abusive employers who have given us all a bad name.

The department's actions seems to be out of sync with that of government leaders who take every opportunity to brag about racial coherence and the tolerant society that we have become.

The profile of maid hirers would reveal that they are families who have a monthly income of at least RM5,000. Are we suggesting that this group has forsaken values and turned to be an abusive lot? The few bad apples should be taken to task, after all we have the police to do the job.

If it is true that non-Muslims would have to hire non-Muslim maids, then would the department allow maids from India and China to arrive here? The department's choice of foreign workers has mainly been from Muslim countries, such as Bangladesh and Pakistan. Why such restrictions?

I have had various maids over 10 years. With the exception of o­ne who was smitten by a local, the others worked their way to the end of term rather well. I have never stopped them from their religious obligations and never had asked them to handle pork.

Although my mom had dogs at her place, we ensured that those employed to look after her were willing to as this was o­ne of the requirements in the forms filled out by the maids. I have found my agency rather good in sourcing these maids.

Pak Lah has talked about first world infrastructure and third world mentality (in Malaysia). This is another example.

The government does not seem to have a master plan o­n foreign workers. The rules are changed frequently to suit certain small thoughts and not designed to fit a larger canvass. Every rule change causes massive adjustments to families dependent o­n foreign workers. Immediate disruptions to daily working order, not to mention additional costs must be borne.

The department's action has infuriated my maids who have always rotated to return to work for us. In fact o­ne has expressed her concern that her Muslim employer might not necessarily be all that good, as religion is not the sole making of good people - it is upbringing and moral values and the ability to co-exist in this multi-faith and multi-ethnic world that is more important.

Let's not send a wrong message to the world at large and let's respect the rights of all to decide and choose who should be the employer and who should be the maid. I am sure J Lo would attest to this.