Employers will be compelled to pay the salary of their housemaids through their respective banking accounts and no longer in cash, said the Human Resources Minister Dr S Subramaniam.

He said the new move would be implemented beginning June to ensure that the interests of both parties, the housemaids and their employers, were protected.

"With this move, we hope to find a solution to cases of housemaids who run away from their employers as well as cases of employers not paying the salary stipulated or non-payment of salary," he said.

He disclosed this at a media conference after witnessing the signing of the memorandum of understanding (MoU) between Dassault Systemes, Strand Aerospace Malaysia (SAM) and Feiran Technology in Putrajaya today.

dr s subramaniam interview 210308 04 Dr Subramaniam (left) said the matter was also discussed by officials of the two countries before Malaysia and Indonesia signed a memorandum of understanding (MoU) by the end of next month.

Previously, the Malaysian and Indonesian governments had agreed to provide a replacement housemaid for those who had run away from their employers, however, details on the matter were still being studied by officials from both sides.

Dr Subramaniam was also asked on the statement by the Indonesian ambassador to Malaysia, Da'i Bachtiar recently that 1,000 cases were reported to the embassy in Kuala Lumpur each year concerning ill-treatment against Indonesian workers.

According to Da'i Bachtiar, out of the total, 60 per cent involved women housemaids who were not paid their salary or the minimum salary paid was not appropriate.

Commenting on the statement, Dr Subramaniam said only 60 cases involving housemaids were reported to the police each year.

- Bernama