I refer to the report in The Star entitled Fairer maid contract .

One should commend the efforts of Home Minister Azmi Khalid, who seems to be on a 'one-man mission' to find long-term solutions to the growing problems surrounding the employment and tenure of foreign workers in Malaysia.

Special commendation should also be given to him for his attempt to look at the problems surrounding the contractual agreements pertaining to household maids.

There are reportedly 850,000 legal foreign workers in Malaysia, including 100,000 maids and 400,000 illegal foreign workers.

However, certain constituents have argued that the number of illegals in the country may have indeed crossed the one million mark and would in the future pose a national and security threat.

As such, employers would be glad at Azmi's statement that the government intends to introduce various 'guidelines and regulations' regarding foreign workers and for a fairer maid contract, including the right to prematurely terminate contracts without either party suffering undue financial or economic loss.

There is no doubt in my mind that these changes would indeed be lauded by a wide cross-section of Malaysians.

Home Ministry officials who briefed me last week, gave the impression that this ruling (which came into effect last Tuesday) is necessary to curb the problem of runaway maids and also to minimise cases of maid abuse.

Ministry officials hope these new regulations will create a more harmonious working environment for the maids.

This may be true in several cases, but, I must also impress that the 'problem of runaways' is not only due to the 'alleged harsh and in humane conditions at the workplace'.

Many have entered the country under the guise of employment as a domestic maid just as a cover to reunite with their social partners or relatives, already here.

Several of the 'runaways' may have a history of previously entering the country legally or illegally with different passports and another name.

Others are lured by higher wages or as a result of sexual or emotional involvement with fellow Indonesians from construction sites. I am certain Azmi is only too aware that there is already a very large Indonesian population resident both 'legally and illegally' in the peninsula, Sabah and Sarawak.

There are also rumours that there are several halfway houses set up by Indonesians at remote housing estates and construction sites giving refuge to illegals, prior to them seeking employment illegally at construction sites or plantations elsewhere.

In fact, in this matter, the Home Ministry must also accept their fair share of blame for the manner in which foreign worker rulings and regulations have evolved from1990 to 2003.

Malaysians may have not forgotten the zig-zag policies of the late 1980s - 90s that frustrated employers and several industries dependent on foreign workers, as locals shunned certain sectors.

Nor have we forgotten the policy switches that were only reactive in nature and based on short- term political and pressure group considerations, rather than comprehensive study. This made our policies on foreign workers rather 'fluid and controversial' in the eyes of observers.

As a consumer advocate, who has in the past had to assist several affected consumers, the changes advocated by Azmi could bring policy consistency, which is long overdue.

Moreover, the cabinet decision to conduct a thorough study to determine why no employers of illegal foreign workers have been penalised when many illegal workers had been convicted is both timely and necessary.