Jakarta gesa KL segera dakwa majikan dera amah

JAKARTA: Indonesia semalam menggesa Malaysia mempercepatkan kes pendakwaan terhadap majikan yang dituduh mendera pembantu rumah warga Jakarta.Malah, Jakarta menegaskan Kuala Lumpur perlu mengenakan hukuman seberat-beratnya yang bertindak sebagai cara mengelak kejadian sama berulang.

Gesaan itu dibuat di tengah-tengah hubungan tegang di antara dua negara jiran itu membabitkan kes membabitkan dakwaan seorang jurulatih karate Indonesia oleh polis Malaysia.Dua kes penderaan terbaru membabitkan tindakan pembantu rumah yang sanggup keluar menerusi tingkap pangsapuri menggunakan tali, atas alasan tidak tahan didera majikan Malaysia mereka.Bulan lalu, seorang wanita Malaysia didakwa kerana terbabit dalam pembunuhan pembantu rumahnya.“Kami berharap kerajaan Malaysia mengambil tindakan tegas yang dapat menjadi cara mengelak perkara itu berulang,” tegas jurucakap Kementerian Luar, Kristiarto Legowo pada sidang media, semalam.

Dalam satu kes tiga tahun lalu, seorang pembantu rumah Indonesia mendakwa dia didera dengan seterika, dicurah air panas oleh isteri majikannya. Perbicaraan kes itu masih berlangsung.Kemarahan Indonesia dikatakan semakin ketara selepas insiden mendakwa jurulatih karate itu dikasari polisMalaysia sudah membuat permohonan rasmi berhubung kejadian itu yang menyaksikan rakyat Indonesia mengadakan beratus-ratus bantahan di sekitar negara itu, selain tindakan ahli Parlimennya meminta produk Malaysia diboikot.

Kuala Lumpur turut menegaskan, biarpun kira-kira 1,200 pembantu rumah Indonesia itu lari daripada majikan mereka setiap bulan, ia tidak merancang mewujudkan satu peraturan khas mengenai pekerjaan itu. – Reuters

Betrayed by former maid

Friday September 7, 2007

PENANG: An Indonesian man was arrested in connection with a rape-cum-robbery case involving a 38-year-old businesswoman in Tanjung Bungah here.

George Town deputy OCPD Supt Gan Kong Meng said the man, a construction worker, was picked up at about 3am in Tanjung Tokong on Wednes- day.
“He was the second suspect arrested in connection with the incident on Monday.
“We are looking for another Indonesian man, whom we have identified, to assist in investigations into the case,” he said.

An Indonesian woman, who was the victim’s former maid, was picked up in Datuk Keramat on Tuesday, he said yesterday.
She was believed to have passed the apartment keys to the duo, he said.
The businesswoman was sleeping when the duo entered her bedroom at about 4.30am that day. They then blindfolded and tied her up before raping her.

They ransacked her apartment before fleeing with her hand-phone, cash and several bottles of liquor totalling more than RM4,000.

‘Try-before-you-hire’ illegal maid service

Wednesday September 5, 2007
Other News & ViewsCompiled by NG SI HOOI AND A. RAMAN

A SYNDICATE is offering “maid express” service for RM100, Kosmo! reported.
The syndicate is active in the Klang Valley, including Shah Alam and Puchong.
Those interested can try out the service of the maids before hiring them permanently.
The daily's reporter went undercover and found out that the service received encouraging response. Maids were being hired everyday.

According to the person in charge, known only as Ibu Tuti, those interested could come anytime to pick up the maids from her house.
“If you interested, we have one maid available now.
“But they do not have any valid document except their passports,” Ibu Tuti told the reporter.
It is learned that some of the maids had run away from their previous employers.

“Some had just arrived from their villages (in Indonesia) and some had changed to different employers as they could not stand the work,” she said.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Housemaids Agencies president Datuk Raja Zulkepley Dahalan warned those hiring an illegal maid of the complications that may arise later.

Induction course for Indonesian maids

Friday August 31, 2007
By FLORENCE A. SAMY

KUALA LUMPUR: Beginning October, Indonesia will have an induction course for those wanting to work in Malaysia as maids, says Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri Dr Fong Chan Onn.
"We have suggested to the Indonesian Government that maids from Indonesia be given an induction course for them to better understand our culture and the country's situation," he said when met after the Merdeka parade at Dataran Merdeka Friday.

Dr Fong was asked to comment on a recent case where an 11-month-old baby died after allegedly being abused by a foreign maid. A 32-year-old Indonesian maid had been arrested pending further investigations.

Following the recent incident, Dr Fong said his officer had spoken to an Indonesian officer about the need for maids to follow induction courses.

"They have agreed at the policy stage. I have been told that they will start the induction course this October.
"By attending the course, we hope that they will adapt better when they come here," he added.

Maid kicked, stomped child

By MUZLIZA MUSTAFA

SHE was kicked so hard that she was sent sprawling to the floor.
When the three-year-old got up, the maid grabbed her by the hand and started kicking her again repeatedly. Again, she was sent sprawling like a rag doll.

Like a woman possessed, the maid repeatedly stomped on the girl’s frail body. She stopped after a while, but continued stomping on the girl moments later.
This cruel act by an Indonesian maid was recorded by a young couple using a webcam installed in the living room of their condominium in Jalan Kuching.
But it could have been a different story if the couple had not had the presence of mind to make the recording.

When confronted on Tuesday, the 18-year-old maid allegedly tried to jump off the couple’s fourth fl oor condominium balcony, prompting a cleaner to call the police.
When the cops arrived, she told them that she had been assaulted by the couple.
Police then hauled the employers, their children and the maid to the Sentul police station for questioning.

The couple spent hours explaining what had happened, and it was during questioning that they produced the footage to back up their claim that their daughter had been abused.
The couple, who had been married for three years, also claimed that the maid had abused their one-year-old son as well. They lodged a report on the alleged abuse the next day.
The couple had told police that they had installed the webcam two weeks ago after their daughter frequently complained of stomach pain.
When they asked the maid, she allegedly told them that it could be because the girl took too much yogurt drinks.

Suspicious, the couple decided to install a webcam on the personal computer in the living room.
In the fi rst week, they caught the maid abusing their youngest. They confronted her and warned her not to repeat it.

On Tuesday, she did it again — this time, the couple’s threeyear- old girl was the target.
But before they could lodge a complaint with the authorities, the maid turned the tables around.
When police arrived after being alerted by the cleaner, the maid told police that she had been assaulted.

The maid sustained injuries to the head and several other parts of her body. She was sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital.
Police are investigating whether the injuries had been self-infl icted or caused by others.
The maid, in her police report, had claimed that the couple was responsible for the injuries.
It is learnt that the maid’s 29- year-old female employer, who works with a shopping mall in the city, had returned home when she felt “uneasy” while working.

She felt the need to check on her maid and children.
Her husband of three years, a 26-year-old computer programmer, arrived later. It was when they checked the recording that they discovered what the maid had done to their daughter.
It was the third time unlucky for the couple. Their fi rst two maids ran away after working with them for less than a year.

The maid allegedly involved in the abuses had been working with them for more than a year.
The Malay Mail spoke to the couple who said their children had been sent to Kuala Lumpur Hospital for medical check-ups.

The husband declined to give The Malay Mail access to the footage of the alleged incident.
“We are afraid of the impact it might have on the children. We are sorry,” he said.
The wife said she did not know if they would get a maid after the episode.
“There are those lucky enough to get good maids, and there are those who are not as fortunate,” she said.

Kuala Lumpur CID chief senior Assistant Commissioner II Ku Chin Wah confi rmed that police were investigating both reports.
He said police have also retrieved the recordings from the couple.
“We are also investigating the maid’s claim that the couple had infl icted injuries on her with a weapon,” he said.
Ku said the couple was released early yesterday after police recorded their statements.

The maid has been remanded.

Cadangan PAPA tak munasabah

PERSATUAN Agensi Pembantu Rumah Asing (Papa) mencadangkan setiap pengambilan pembantu rumah mestilah melalui agensi dan memansuhkan pengambilan secara individu. Alasan mereka, ada kes orang gaji yang diambil secara individu didera dan tidak mempunyai tempat pengaduan. Soalnya, berapa peratus kes penderaan membabitkan pembantu rumah persendirian berbanding melalui agensi? Saya sendiri mempunyai seorang pembantu rumah yang saya ambil secara sendiri dan setakat ini sudah hampir dua tahun tidak mempunyai apa-apa masalah. Kalau benar persatuan berkenaan hendak memansuhkan pengambilan secara persendirian, selaraskan nilai pembayaran bagi urusan itu.

Berbanding melalui agensi, pengambilan secara persendirian boleh berjimat sehingga RM2,000. Sanggupkah persatuan menurunkan pembayaran melalui agensi sebanyak itu?Bagaimana pula keadaannya dengan kebanyakan pembantu rumah melalui agensi yang melarikan diri? Masing-masing mempunyai pro dan kontranya.

Janganlah mengeksploitasi satu masalah dan menutup masalah lain. Jadi, saya tidak setuju jika permintaan persatuan diluluskan.Berkaitan insuran, memang dialu-alukan kerana ia saling membantu pembantu dan majikan sekiranya terjadi kejadian tidak diingini.Diharap kerajaan mengambil pandangan dari segala sudut dan janganlah undang-undang dilaksanakan bagi menguntungkan sebelah pihak saja.

Perlu diingat bahawa kebanyakan orang yang mengambil pembantu rumah ini adalah daripada golongan sederhana membabitkan suami isteri bekerja.Janganlah dibebani dengan penguatkuasaan pengambilan pembantu rumah melalui agensi yang mengenakan bayaran sehingga RM6,000 berbanding secara persendirian antara RM3,000 dan RM4,000 saja.

MAJIKAN PRIHATIN

Bayan Lepas, Pulau Pinang.

Lindungi sama majikan pembantu rumah

JUMAAT lalu, muka depan Utusan Malaysia melaporkan bahawa lebih 300,000 majikan di negara ini yang menggunakan khidmat pembantu rumah warga asing bakal diwajibkan membayar premium insurans.

Polisi insurans itu meliputi perlindungan kes kematian, kemalangan dan pembiayaan hospital. Cadangan itu pastinya amat dialu-alukan memandangkan kes-kes penderaan ke atas pembantu rumah oleh majikan sering kali disiarkan media massa sejak kebelakangan ini.

Alangkah bertuah mereka kerana selepas ini nasib mereka semakin terbela. Persoalannya, pada pihak majikan, apakah jaminan pembantu rumah atau orang gaji yang mereka terima adalah seorang pekerja yang bertanggungjawab?

Saya berkata demikian berdasarkan pengalaman sendiri mempunyai tiga pembantu rumah warga Indonesia. Orang gaji pertama saya terima pada 2004 menerusi agensi dengan bayaran RM4,000. Bagaimanapun, tragedi tsunami di Aceh meragut nyawa salah seorang anaknya.
Ekoran kejadian tersebut, beliau sering termenung dan tidak boleh menumpukan langsung pada tugas-tugasnya.
Atas rasa simpati, saya menghantarnya pulang ke kampung setelah beliau berjanji akan pulang seminggu kemudian.

Namun, setelah seminggu, beliau tidak juga kembali. Saya terpaksa membatalkan permit kerja beliau dengan membayar penalti RM250 bagi mendapatkan orang gaji baru.
Saya cuba meminta pengganti daripada agensi tetapi mereka menyalahkan saya kerana membenarkan orang gaji pulang ke kampung. Orang gaji kedua saya peroleh beberapa bulan kemudian menerusi agensi yang sama dengan bayaran juga RM4,000.

Walaupun kerjanya tidak seberapa, saya terpaksa menerimanya demi menjaga tiga orang anak kerana saya dan suami bekerja. Selepas setahun, saya memperbaharui permit kerja beliau.
Sekali lagi malang menimpa, pemeriksaan kesihatan mendapati beliau menghidap hepatitis sejak tiga tahun lalu walhal laporan kesihatan di Indonesia mengesahkan beliau sihat tanpa sebarang penyakit. (Peraturan baru Jabatan Imigresen sekarang mewajibkan orang gaji menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan di Malaysia dan Indonesia bagi mendapat permit kerja).

Saya terpaksa membatalkan permit kerja dan menghantarnya pulang. Sekali lagi saya terpaksa mengeluarkan RM4,000 untuk mendapatkan khidmat orang gaji baru, kali ini daripada agensi berbeza. Orang gaji ketiga begitu rajin dan boleh diharap, tidak seperti dua orang sebelum ini. Disangka panas hingga ke petang, rupanya hujan di tengah hari.
Orang gaji ketiga melarikan diri Khamis lalu setelah setahun bekerja. Mujurlah ketika kejadian, saya dan suami masih belum keluar rumah untuk bekerja. Kalau tidak, entah apalah nasib anak-anak saya sekiranya kejadian berlaku semasa saya dan suami tiada di rumah.

Saya terpaksa membatalkan permit kerja beliau bagi mendapatkan orang gaji baru. Sekali lagi saya terpaksa membayar penalti RM250 dan RM4,000. Persoalan saya di sini, apakah hak majikan sekiranya orang gaji membuat ‘hal’?

Apakah tiada undang-undang yang membolehkan majikan menuntut ganti rugi sekiranya berdepan masalah seperti ini? Berpuluh ribu ringgit duit saya hilang begitu sahaja akibat ‘perbuatan’ mereka. Saya percaya ramai lagi majikan yang pernah menerima nasib seperti saya.
Justeru, saya memohon kerajaan membuat peraturan baru bagi melindungi hak majikan. Janganlah beruk di hutan disusukan, anak sendiri mati kelaparan.

– MAJIKAN MALANG,
Ampang, Selangor.