I refer to the malaysiakini report 1,000 Indonesian workers mistreated yearly . I can read bad news and not be affected. But I find it hard to remain unaffected when I read about these 1,000 maids. What's wrong with those errant employers?

Don't they realise the enormous hardships and mental anguish that those poor maids undergo? What criminal mind makes Malaysians turn into monsters a thousand times worse than Cinderella's wicked stepmother?

The sad truth is that those in the maid industry don't care. As far back as the early 80s when foreign maids started arriving into the country, I knew that maid abuse would happen. Those days it was largely Filipino maids. But now there are young girls from many different poorer Asian countries and many of them are treated like virtual slaves.

Shame on those Malaysians who don't have the decency to treat another human being with the dignity that they themselves expect from others. It is time the government step in and salvage the reputation of the country because not all Malaysians are 'wicked stepmothers'.

To read reports of the modern-day maltreatment of foreign maids is utterly shocking. The tragic reality is that it is not some uneducated moron who does all the ill-treating. Some of these maids can be found in middle and upper-middle class homes where you expect their employers to be more civilised and humane. But today's 'wicked stepmothers' and 'stepfathers' are alive and well and wreaking havoc on the lives of these vulnerable young girls.

How many of these women remain in a state of physical hardship and emotional trauma without anyone to turn to for help only God knows. We do know now that this serious social problem needs urgently to be redressed. It is pointless to talk about human rights elsewhere when the basic rights and dignity of these girls are not upheld in our homes. Leaving home to work in a strange place is hard enough for these young girls without having to endure the hard labour, maltreatment and occasional sexual abuse.

I call on the human resources minister and all Malaysians to spare a thought for all these suffering maids not only from Indonesia but other countries as well and do something concrete to protect them, give them their rights and restore their dignity. It is as simple as introducing the appropriate laws to protect all foreign maids and to punish errant employers, even with jail terms in the most serious incidents.

To those who continually ill-treat maids, I urge to reach into their souls and see if they still have one. Those who desire the best for their children but would not hesitate to maltreat someone else's daughter deserves society's condemnation and should be barred from hiring maids.

I suggest that all employers of maids be compelled to attend a compulsory Employer and Maid Get-to-know-you session where the rights and responsibilities of both parties can be taught. There should be an organisation where maids with grievances can seek counsel and help. The government should finance any NGO that does this to protect our foreign maids.

Maids should be taught to be helpful and professional and know that they have rights. They should not be modern-day slaves. A more professional maid employment industry and humane employers can only benefit everyone.