Malaysia, the most preferred destination of Nepali foreign job aspirants, is divided over employing Nepali housemaids. According to Malaysian media, the government is planning to hire Nepali maids while Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies (Papa) is refusing the favour.

The government is allowing Nepali maids into Malaysia as there is hardly any demand for them, The Malay Times has reported, quoting Papa president Alwi Bavutty. Malaysian government is mulling a plan to hire Nepali maids to fill the gap of Indonesian housemaids. Malaysia is facing shortage of housemaids after Indonesia stopped its women to work as housemaids in the destination in June 2009. “It would not be an exaggeration to say that less than 10 households in the country would like to employ Nepalis as domestic helps,” he said.

According to him, Malaysian people are not interested in getting Nepali maids due to the cultural differences and language barrier. Nepal had suspended the supply of its domestic workers to Malaysia in 2007 following frequent reports of abuse by Malaysian employers.

However, Nepali embassy in Kuala Lumpur has purposed Malaysian Labour Ministry to reopen the door to Nepali domestic helpers. The embassy has set RM 650 as minimum monthly salary for Nepali women workers. As per the Nepali proposal, Buddhist, Christian and Muslim Nepali domestic workers can be sent to employers of similar religious faiths.

Nepali ambassador to Malaysia Dr Rishi Raj Adhikari is closely working with the Labour Ministry of Malaysia to reopen the area for Nepali women. “I know that domestic workers are generally well treated here, so I am taking up the matter with Malaysian government to open the area,” The Star reported quoting Adhikari.

Nepal government had banned Nepali women to join domestic helps’ job in Malaysia on the recommendation of Adhikari four years ago. “When I first arrived here, I came across cases of abuse and I proposed a suspension of the supply of our domestic workers,” he said.

Malaysia is employing over 4,00,000 Nepali workers in manufacturing, agriculture and service sector. Hardly 2,000 Nepali women are in Malaysian jobs including housemaids. Opening of the destination for domestic helps will help Nepali women seeking overseas jobs while the women preferred destinations Lebanon and Israel keep their doors closed since 2009. As per an estimate, Malaysia can provide jobs to around 20,000 Nepali women as domestic helps.

Published on: 3 April 2011 |  The Himalayan Times