The arrival of Indonesian maids to Malaysia has been delayed because they have yet to go through the mandatory 200-hour training,  Deputy Human Resource Minister Maznah Mazlan said.

As such, she said their arrival had been deferred to April 1, from March 1 earlier.

She denied that the delay had to do with an alleged abuse case of two Indonesian maids by a senior government official and his wife recently.

“The Labour Department and the Indonesian government have postponed the arrival date by a month because the maids have yet to go for the 200-hour training,” she told reporters after surveying an abandoned housing project in Rompin today.

She said the training was part of the requirements for Indonesian maids to come to Malaysia under the new regulations, besides the requirement for employers to submit their profiles.

Malaysia and Indonesia, she said, had also agreed to have a working contract for domestic maid and the cost of recruiting Indonesian maid fixed at RM4,511.

She said that the ministry was coordinating with 12 employment agencies in Indonesia to bring in the maids.

“So far, 128 employers in the country have submitted their applications to the agencies concerned,” she added.

She said those wanting to employ domestic helpers could do so by surfing jtksm.mohr.gov.my for further information.

- Bernama