I refer to the Malaysiakini report Jakarta wants higher wages for maids .

I totally disagree that the maids’ wages should be raised. At the moment maids are paid between a RM450 to RM500 starting salary.

I am now paying my maid RM500. Reason why I need a maid is to take care of my child. If my child is able and capable to take care of herself, I would definitely not want a maid. I will be able to save some money and have less stress also. Having a maid is like having another additional person in the family. The employer has to provide food and lodging and take of her needs too.

My maid takes the same kind of food as what we take, fresh juices and good healthy food. Her shampoo, toothpaste and every thing is paid for by me. She does not have to spent a single sen. Her salary is untouched. I treat her well and on the weekends she joins us for weekend outings.

My maid does not work the whole day or non-stop as exaggerated by the Indonesian government. My maid does not cook. I prepare breakfast and lunch before I go to work and I prepare dinner when I get home. My maid only does the cleaning up and the washing.

The clothes are put into the washing machine to be washed and big items like bed sheets etc, are sent to the laundry. The maid uses the washing machine to wash her own clothes. My maid does not wash cars. I know some maids even have to wash about three cars per household.

Basically, my maid is just to babysit my child.

The price rise for fuel and essential goods and food is actually a burden to the employer and not the maid. Employers have to pay for the food and essential goods.

Instead, it should be the other way around. The maid’s salary should be adjusted and revised to a lower amount salary with a starting pay of RM400. There is no logic for a raise as the maid does not spent a sen from her earnings so why should a maid’s salary be raised?

The Indonesian government wants to make it difficult for employers in Malaysia but actually the Indonesian government is making it difficult for their own maids. If employers are to pay higher wages for the maids, then the employers will have to cut down on the expenses for their maids and make them work more, to be paid according to their work chores.

Let’s be realistic. Every home is an individual home. Some homes have grandparents and a big family. Some homes are a small-knitted family. So how can you put a ceiling rate for maids? If the maids are not happy, they can always leave after their two-year contract or even before at three months.

But there are some maids who love to continue working and keep renewing their contracts and some even work more than five years even though their salary is low. If the employer is good and treats the employee well, why not settle for less? So it is up to the maids themselves.

Having a maid is also a gamble for the employer. Sometimes the employer gets good maid, sometimes the good maid gets a bad employer and sometimes the employer gets a bad maid. Just like in an office, sometime the employer gets a good staff and the staff’s salary is paid according to his or her performance.

In any professional job, there is no such thing as a standard or basic salary. Even the salaries for professionals like lawyers, engineers, architects and doctors also vary. Salary is paid according to how well a person can perform a job and its job function. Even the ministers themselves are paid according to their rank.

I would prefer not to have a maid once my child is able to take care of herself and the need to rely on a maid will not arise.