Cambodian maids raring to go

23 September 2013
The Star Online
Education and training / Gender / Industries / Informal migration for labor / Labor / Local workers abroad / Offshore recruitment and employment / Social development / Vocational education / Women in development
Malaysian aid / Singapore / Singapore Ministry of Manpower

At 5am, without any alarm clock going off, a dozen Cambodian maids wake up with near-military precision. Over the next hour, the women sweep, wash and scrub spotless their two-storey training centre in the Cambodian capital Phnom Penh. They all want to be maids in Singapore, eager to earn enough to supplement their families’ meagre income. A handful arrived in Singapore homes last week, and about 400 are expected by the end of the year. Cambodian maids are being allowed into Singapore for the first time, under a Manpower Ministry pilot scheme. … The women are eager to escape poverty at home. Jobs for women in Cambodia are limited mostly to working in factories or as maids, and both jobs pay barely US$120 (RM379) a month. As maids in Singapore, they can expect at least S$450 (RM1,137) a month. The jobs come at a cost though. The women pay S$2,400 (RM6,069) in placement fees to recruitment agents and expect to clear the debt in instalments over six months. …

 The Star Online Staff
http://www.thestar.com.my/News/Regional/2013/09/23/Cambodian-maids-raring-to-go.aspx