KUALA LUMPUR: Private employment agencies nationwide, who are facing economic wrath in the heel of the Covid-19 pandemic, are now worried over the government's move to freeze the intake of foreign workers.
This followed Human Resources Minister Datuk Seri S. Saravanan's announcement on Monday that there would be a freeze on foreign workers' intake until end of this year and that the government would instead focus on employing locals.
"We, the private employment agencies are fully committed to assisting the government in getting locals employed," they said a joint statement today.
The statement was released by Association of Employment Agencies, Malaysia (P.A.P.A), The Malaysian National Association of Employment Agencies (PIKAP), The Human Resources National Organisation (PUSMA) and Persatuan Agensi Perkhidmatan Swasta Malaysia (PAPSMA).
The agencies said that while they were fully committed to helping unemployed locals to get jobs, most Malaysian women, for example, were not keen in working as domestic maids, despite there being a high demand for the job.
"Under the Recovery Movement Control Order (RMCO) many people were returning to offices to work. But schools are still not fully opened.
"Those going to work have to leave their children, who are in the lower classes, at home without supervision," the statement said.
The agencies said this new scenario will create a demand for domestic maids to ensure the smooth running of the household as well as give the parents peace of mind when they return to work.
They added that the Philippines had permitted its domestic maids to return to Singapore and Taiwan.
Therefore, the agencies urged the government to allow domestic maids from at least the Philippines to be allowed to be employed in Malaysia, to ease the problems arising by non-availability of locals who are not willing to work in the sector.
"We also have aged people living alone without assistance. There are other parents who have children with special needs and they need trained caregivers to take care of them.
"We have also many requests from new mothers and expectant mothers that they need the assistance of a helper to take care of their new babies", they said.
The agencies said a large number of applications for domestic maids had been approved by the Immigration Department but they could not enter the country because the borders were still closed.
"The government has allowed expatriates and MM2H applicants to hire domestic maids and we appeal that Malaysian employers to be able to employ their domestic maids," they said.
The agencies added that there were also domestic maids who had completed their contracts and waiting to return to their families in their home countries.
When sourcing countries' borders are opened and the flights resume fully, there will be a massive number of domestic maids returning to their home countries.
"This will create a sudden vacuum for the maids," they said.
Meanwhile, a frontliner from Muar said it was quite taxing for him during the early stages of the pandemic as his wife is also a doctor.
"As both of us are medical doctors, we badly need a domestic maid which was supposed to arrive on April to take care of our beloved twins while we are at work," said Dr Muhammad Heakal Khazelle, 34.
Klang Valley entrepreneur, Azzubair Abdul Rahman said he is helpless as there is no support for his aged parents who badly need a good caregiver to replace the current caregiver who will be returning to the Philippines, upon the completion of her contract.