Liow Chee Sing, S10032338A

In a Straits Times article dated 20 January 2007, last year, more than one million filipinos left to work abroad as maids and other low-paid jobs. That is not accounting the illegal ones of cos. so the real number is actually a much bigger figure than that.

So, if there are so many workers that are leaving their own country for their better-off neighbours, such as Singapore, why is it that people still think the majority of these foreign domestic workers are ill-treated by their employers?

The fact is, these cases are few and in between.

The reason why they're still coming is the enormous amount of efforts made to ensure their justice and welfare services are well-taken care of.

The Philippines itself is already seeking to improve the rights of their largest export, which are of course, the people. These plans include the ban of recruitment agencies from charging fees to workers and is raising the minimum wages that these agencies offer.

Besides. the housing standards here for the rest of the foreign workers, excluding maids, are remarkably luxurious, with dorms that resemble condominiums because of their high-tech security systems.

Of course, there's always the other side of the coin, you argue. The old make-shift quarters that look like rubbish dumps.
However, hostel manager Eric Yeoh points out that the source of the soiled conditions are largely due to the workers themselves because the place is cleaned regularly.

So are they really ill-treated or merely treated? To an array of goodies.

I walked down to Lucky Plaza this afternoon to do a short interview with a random maid. I have to say that this place was swarming with foreign domestic workers that if I blindfolded myself I'd have been able to grab any person nearby and it'd be a foreign domestic worker. Anyway, this lovely young lady was called Marcy and she has been working in Singapore for three and a half years. I asked her about her working experience and she answered that it was pleasant. Her words were little but the expression on her face? It was like she worked under warm sunshine rays all her life. She also said that her employers treat her like part of the family. And of course she said that. It was a sunday and it was her day off! A happy and satisfied maid!

i'd like to enquire how many employees out there are stuck at home with their employers slogging their guts out?

I was lucky enough to interview someone at the other side of the river - an employer.

Here with me now is Madam Mun, an employer. So can i enquire, why did you decide to employ a maid?
"Well, I wanted someone to help out with my household chores and like, I have three children, and I was worried I couldn't handle them at such a young age."

What were your initial perceptions of her?
"She was very nice, very... easygoing. very good worker. And uh... the kids loved her as well."

When I asked Madam Mun about the issue on maid abuse. This is what she said.
"I think it's crazy how like, some of the employers like, used the iron to like, burn the maid, or like, ill-treat them or like, give them no food."

Did you treat her as part of the family or just an employer-employee status?
"She was definitely part of our family. like, we would go to church together and during chinese new year everybody would like, gather together and she was a part of all our celebrations."

I understand that you stopped hiring her. What happened?
"My youngest son started to get really sticky to her at the point of like, he was very needy of her and i felt like i had to fight with my maid for the affection of my son. And i thought it was ridiculous and it didn't [feel] very good having someone taking the duties and responsibilities of a mother."

Was it a difficult decision for you?
"Yah it was because, she was like a very good friend as well and everybody loved her and she was a great help to me. And i really miss her even till now that she's gone."

How did your kids react?
"We couldn't get used to it at first but, I mean they still miss her and we still give her calls sometimes just to ask how she's doing and everything and we do catch up sometimes. I'll call her out for coffee? Cause she's working for another employer now. Yeah but generally it was okay."

Okay, thank you for your time!
"Thank you."

There are a lot of employers out there like Madam Mun who clearly do more than just treat the maid like a worker. They are family and I'm sure more Singaporean employers will also learn this point.

This is Chee Sing for Newsradio 938.