Experts Put Forward Changes to Draft Agreement Protecting Maids
Officials from the government U.N. and human rights groups on Friday put forward amendments to draft memorandum of understanding (MoU) that is designed to impose safeguards for Cambodians to travel to work as maids in Malaysia. While the original draft by the Malaysian government sets out the responsibility of employers and recruitment agencies when guaranteeing the safety of domestic laborers, officials at the workshop in Phnom Penh on Friday to review the memorandum said that it needed more precise details on minimum wages, visas and responsibilities of employers to their maids. … Other articles such as minimum age of 21 years old for maids was agreed upon by participants. However, those attending the workshop said a maximum age of 45-year-old should be scrapped from the memorandum. Participants agreed that domestic workers should be eligible for one day off per week. Currently, the draft says employers must only “provide the domestic worker with adequate rates.” …
