EMPLOYMENT agencies have started sourcing for workers from another five countries to resolve the nationwide shortage of maids. 

The Malaysian Association of Employment Agencies (PAPA) said its members were looking to hire domestic help from Timor Leste, Bangladesh, Cambodia, Nepal, and Myanmar, apart from the usual source countries – Indonesia and the Philippines. 

PAPA president Foo Yong Hooi said currently there was a shortage of 20,000 maids.  

“There are requests for maids, but we don’t have candidates.  

“We have already started engaging with our counterparts in the five countries to bring in maids,” he told The Malaysian Insight. 

He said there are currently more than 100,000 maids in Malaysia and they mainly come from Indonesia and the Philippines, while a small number are from India and Sri Lanka. 

Foo added that the Human Resources Ministry had given them the go-ahead to source for maids from those five countries.

“So, PAPA is currently doing a preliminary survey. We have already given out questionnaires to our counterparts in the five countries last week.  

“The survey basically evaluates the costs, such as airfare, training, human resource fees, and more. 

“Hopefully we will be able to complete it (survey) in two weeks. 

“Our objective is to bring down the costs of bringing in foreign maids. That’s one of the reasons we are looking at these other countries.” 

Currently costly to hire maids  

Foo said Indonesian maids were expensive. 

“The price for a maid from Indonesia is capped at RM15,000, so the agencies there are asking for up to RM12,000 per maid. 

“How can agencies here make enough profit to sustain their business?”

Foo said some agencies were reluctant to take in Indonesian maids because of the reduction in profit.  

He said an agency could spend up to RM2,000 to bring in a maid.  

“This is because the agencies have responsibilities to bear, such as transportation from the airport upon arrival, insurance, medical fees, and meals for the maids.” 

He said there were about 600 to 700 licensed agencies, but he had no information on the active ones. 

“Sometimes, when they can’t get maids, they become inactive. 

“Sometimes, some agencies in Indonesia will ask for a RM5,000 to RM6,000 deposit once they give the biodata (of maids). 

“All these are costs,” he added. – May 8, 2023.