I REFER to your report quoting Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad as saying “RM75 per annum as medical insurance for maids is nothing for employers” (”Insurance for maids to cost RM75″ - NST, Jan 17).

For Radzi, RM75 may be nothing but for the majority of employers, it is another huge burden since the majority of Malaysians with maids are not affluent. With RM75, they can feed the entire household for a week.

They employ maids because it is a necessity. Both spouses have to work to make ends meet, and life is one long hard struggle.

Employers are already paying RM190 for the maid’s annual medical checkup by Fomema. I don’t even see the reason for a maid to undergo a full medical checkup year after year. The poor employer and his family cannot even afford a medical checkup and medical insurance for themselves.

If the Home Affairs Ministry is determined to go ahead to implement the medical insurance scheme for maids by a government-linked company, then the Fomema medical check-up should be abolished.

I have had maids for the past 15 years. Other then the occasional flu, none of them have needed medical care.

So why are we forced to buy expensive medical insurance for them? Instead employers can buy affordable accident insurance for them.

Radzi’s comment that medical insurance will give a “better signal” to Indonesia is not an issue. Indonesia’s concern is that the maids should be treated with respect, and Malaysian employers should be mindful of that.

T.P.H., Petaling Jaya

Source: NST – January 31, 2008