I HAD recently applied for a maid from a local maid agency which claims to be the No 1 maid agency in Klang. Little did I know that I was in for loads of trouble.

First, I was slapped with a fee of RM6,515, which they assured me was a bargain price. But the maid did not arrive on the date promised. The agency than suggested that I employ a temporary maid at RM25 a day.

The agency also pointed out that if the temporary maid ran away, I would be liable for extra payments.

The maid I requested for arrived but was far below my expectations. The agency promptly said that was the luck of the draw.

Can’t we, after paying all that money, expect some quality service?

What is the basic criteria used to select these maids? We are given outdated photos to choose from and most of the information given are also false!

How can we be expected to judge the maid from her appearance and trust her with our loved ones?

It is high time the Ministry of Home Affairs laid down proper criteria and viewed this matter seriously. The employers are always at the losing end. There must be rules and regulations to protect us from being exploited by the agencies and the maids.

DR LALITHA P., Klang

Source: NST – January 31, 2008