PETALING JAYA, Jan 25 (Sin Chew Daily) — National Association of Human Resources Malaysia (PUSMA) president Zarina Ismail said the country is currently experiencing a severe shortage of domestic helpers, prompting some employers to take the risk of hiring illegal maids.

She hoped the application and vetting procedures could be expedited after Malaysia signs a memorandum of understanding with Indonesia next month.

She estimated that based on the normal hiring process, Indonesian maids will arrive in Malaysia earliest in April after the MoU on recruitment and protection of Indonesian migrant workers is signed on February 7 and 8.

Zarina told Sin Chew Daily it is impossible for Indonesian maids to arrive next month, as Indonesia has frozen all job orders, meaning everything has to be started all over again, including registration and preparing the new job orders.

“Normally hiring a maid will take two months before a maid can come to Malaysia,” she said.

She admitted that the current RM20,000 to RM25,000 fees (including RM12,000 charged by the Indonesian authorities and several thousand ringgit charged by the Malaysian government for COVID-19 tests and quarantine expenses) for hiring an Indonesian maid is a little steep. As a result, only wealthy families can afford to hire a maid.

Zarina hoped the fees would be reduced after the two countries sign the MoU next month, so that average families can also afford to hire maids.