Housemaid: Proposed salary increase too high - Richard Riot

Indonesia's proposal to raise the salary for domestic maids to RM1,200 is too high compared to the minimum salary fixed in Malaysia which is RM900, said Human Resource Minister Datuk Seri Richard Riot

Jaem.

He said in a statement today that the Malaysian government had sought for detailed justification in writing from the Indonesian government on the matter, but had yet to receive any feedback.

"The government will hold discussion sessions with the employers associations, workers unions and employment agencies in Malaysia on the proposal before deciding on the consideration and direction of its (proposed salary increase) implementation," he said.

According to the statement, the proposal on the salary increase for Indonesian domestic maids from RM700 to RM1,200 had been submitted by the Indonesian government at the meeting of the joint working group between Malaysia and Indonesia on the Amended Protocol of the Memorandum of Understanding on the

Services of Indonesian Domestic Maids in Putrajaya on May 13.

The Indonesian government felt that the proposal would make the services of domestic maids in Malaysia more competitive compared with the salaries offered by other countries.

In addition, he said it would also attract the interest of more domestic maids from Indonesia to choose Malaysia as their job destination.