The Association of Employment Agencies Malaysia (Papa) has called on the human resources ministry to reject a proposed increase in the basic salary of Philippine domestic helpers from US$400 (RM1,800) to US$500 (RM2,200).
The association said the increase would impose a huge financial burden on employers who wanted to take in domestic helpers from the Philippines, adding that other countries had opposed it.
“The Gulf countries rejected the proposal and the Philippines government retracted the implementation,” it noted in a statement after a meeting with the ministry’s policymaking department.
The association suggested the creation of a residential cleaners’ sector, saying many households preferred privacy and would like residential cleaners who came in periodically to clean the houses.
“Many foreigners are already doing this illegally. Papa proposes that this sector be regulated,” it said.
It proposed that several new sub-sectors be created to prevent foreigners from working illegally and to meet the market’s urgent needs, including caregivers at elderly care homes, and workers at car wash centres and community centres.
The association also requested that the ministry improve the approval process for hiring foreign workers under Section 60K of the Employment Act 1955, stating that the current system left no room for mistakes.
“Currently, it takes 14 working days, sometimes longer, to get approval. If there is the slightest mistake, the application has to be resubmitted, which takes another 14 days,” it said.
Last month, Gulf News reported that the Philippines government had made a unilateral decision to require countries to increase the minimum salary for its overseas domestic staff from US$400 to US$500.
However, the government backed off from enforcing it in Gulf Cooperation Council countries following concerns and pushback from Gulf states.
