The government is not likely to agree to Indonesia's proposal for better perks for its domestic maids, a report said today.

Home Affairs Minister Azmi Khalid said that allowing Indonesian maids to be hired under the country's labour law - which would provide for annual and sick leave, days off and overtime payment - would complicate matters for employers, said the New Straits Times .

"The Indonesians want the maids to be given benefits contained in our labour laws," Azmi was quoted as saying.

"We have not agreed to the proposal that maids be accorded all the benefits under our labour laws. However, we are discussing several other proposals," he said without elaborating.

The two countries are currently thrashing out details for a memorandum of understanding on domestic maids from Indonesia. Azmi said the agreement is likely to be signed in May.

Psychological, sexual abuse

The government recently said it may soon make it mandatory for employers to bank the salaries of domestic maids, as part of efforts to prevent them from withholding wages.

Nearly 300,000 Indonesian maids work in Malaysia. The live-in maids often receive a salary averaging RM380 a month, far less than counterparts from the Philippines.

Many are forced to work long hours with little protection from labour laws and no annual leave, days off, or paid overtime. Cases of "maid abuse" emerge regularly.

But employers say they already provide their maids with lodging, food and clothes, and regard them as part of the family.

International watchdog Human Rights Watch warned last year that foreign maids in Malaysia are prey to physical, psychological and sexual abuse because of flawed government policies and typically work 16 to 18 hour days.