Dear Tamarind,
This is Patrick Winn, Southeast Asia correspondent with Global Post, a U.S. foreign news agency based in Boston. I'm based in Bangkok and my work has appeared in/on NHK, The L.A. Times and other outlets.
I'm writing about maids in Singapore this week and I'm hoping you'll be able to answer a few questions. I'm specifically focusing on reactions to the law as it stands as well as employers' overall sentiments on how maids should fit into Singaporean families' lives.
I'd to ask you …
1. Your blog says "maid loans" are the root of most maid problems in Singapore. Why do you think Singapore's MOM allows this situation and how would eliminating this system would benefit families?
2. Working American moms without maids will inevitably wonder why Singaporean women are so dependent on maids. How would you explain this to a mother in the U.S.?
3. How do you think differences in culture/habits/education between Singaporeans and heavy maid-supplying countries (such as Indonesia and the Philippines) contribute to tension in Singaporean homes?
I'm happy to ring you so we can go through this on the phone. If that's not workable, an e-mail response would suffice. I do appreciate the fact that you're busy and that you've had bad experiences with the media in the past. That's why I'm approaching you directly instead of only quoting from your blog. I attempt to convey multiple sides to every story per ethical reporting guidelines.
Best and many thanks,
Patrick Winn
Global Post - Southeast Asia
Dear Patrick,
I do not give any interviews over the phone. I am posting your email and my reply in my blog, so that all other employers can also contribute their comments.
1. Your blog says "maid loans" are the root of most maid problems in Singapore. Why do you think Singapore's MOM allows this situation and how would eliminating this system would benefit families?
According to MOM, the maid loan is an issue between the maid agency and the employer, and has nothing to do with MOM. In fact, MOM also does not want to regulate the salary of the maids which must be determined by supply and demand. For your information, MOM is not concerned about protecting the interests of employers. MOM is more concerned about how to penalize employers for anything bad that happens to the maids. For example, if a maid disappears, even if it is clearly not the employer's fault, MOM still makes the employer pay $2500.
Currently the employer has to pay the maid loan of about $3000. Essentially we are giving the maid an interest free loan, to be repaid over 10 months. The maid is free to leave the employer at any time. As a result, the maid is not motivated to work hard. Many maids like to change employers as many times as they like, until they find an easy job. They have nothing to lose, because the new employer will have to pay for the balance of their maid loan. A maid can also ask to go home after working for a few days, this means that the employer will lose most of the maid loan. The maid easily earns a holiday trip to Singapore.
In Hong Kong and Taiwan, employers do not need to pay the maid loan, the maid must find a way to pay for it before starting work.
If an employer hires a maid without going through an agency, the cost is less than SGD1000 including air ticket, medical checkup, work permit, insurance, etc. Most of the $3000+ maid loan goes into the pockets of the agencies who become filthy rich by exploiting the maids. I really hope that you can highlight the fact that the agencies are exploiting the maids by charging hefty maid loan. This is the best way to help the maids. Employers in Singapore are really helpless, don't waste time criticizing us like the CNN and Straits Times reporters.
2. Working American moms without maids will inevitably wonder why Singaporean women are so dependent on maids. How would you explain this to a mother in the U.S.?
This is one of the reason :
Singapore still far behind in true gender equality: Aware
Also read the following article :
(Source)
Quote from the article :
"As in most traditional societies, women in Asia have long been the sole caregivers for children, elderly parents or parents-in-law. People generally assume they will continue to be so, even though many women have paid jobs outside the home. The result is that expectations placed on wives have become unusually onerous. Surveys in Japan have suggested that women who work full-time then go home and spend another 30 hours a week doing the housework. Their husbands contribute an unprincely three hours of effort. In America and Europe the disparity is less extreme, and has narrowed considerably since the 1960s.
On top of this, many Asian couples face enormous pressure to ensure their children succeed in schools with cut-throat competition for places—pressure that falls mostly on the mother. Private child care is exorbitantly expensive. There are few state-subsidised crèches (324,000 children are on waiting lists in Seoul alone). And setting up a home is expensive because of high house prices. All this means it is harder to strike a satisfying balance between job and family in Asia than in the West."
Many Singaporean men do not help out with childcare or housework. Even if they are willing, they may be too busy with work. When my babies were born, my husband was working for a European MNC. He often worked till about 10 pm, sometimes even later. I was working for an American MNC, and I was also overloaded with so much work that I often had to work on weekends.
Another reason is the difference in the way we manage our households. We do not live the same way as people in the U.S.A. My sister-in-law is married to an American. Their kids eat bread everyday, and my American brother-in-law thinks that babies should be left to cry in the cot. Singaporeans prefer to eat homecooked food and Chinese food is more difficult to prepare compared to Western food. We like to carry our babies when they cry, and we prefer our floors to be cleaned daily because we let our babies crawl all over the floor. Note that this is only based on my observations of my American brother-in-law, other American mothers may be different.
My cousin graduated from both Harvard and the University of Cambridge. She lives in the USA, and has 2 kids. She had to stay at home to look after her kids for 7 years before she could go out to work. I do not think that it is easy for working mothers in the USA to manage both work and family.
3. How do you think differences in culture/habits/education between Singaporeans and heavy maid-supplying countries (such as Indonesia and the Philippines) contribute to tension in Singaporean homes?
The main problem is communication. Even though maids are supposed to know English, a new maid from Indonesia or the Philippines will take many months to understand the way English is spoken by a Singaporean.
I think that so long as a maid has a good attitude and is willing to work hard, differences in culture/habits/education can be overcome. My Indonesian maid is Muslim, but she is a wonderful maid and she gets along very well with everyone in my family.
Rustiayxxxx
-
Hi Tamarind,
I am so glad that I found your blog. Is so useful and good for people like
me who has less experience on maids.
Few months back I get a maid...
60 comments:
Dear all employers,
Please feel free to post your reply to Patrick here.
Q1: maid loan
If maid/FDWs don't have hefty loan, all agencies are transparent about costs to bear BEFORE FDWs fly out of their countries, lives would be easier for both employers and FDWs. If maid loan is being calculated when FDW step foot into Spore, it will continue to be an issue and a problem as nobody enjoys doing free labour for 10 months, almost 300 days of torture, can't feel any cash on hand! You like the feeling?
Tell me, if you've a huge loan, require you to repay in 10 months ... let's not talk about how much per month, just focus on 10 months no salary; agency didn't tell you before you leave home country, cheated you by painting nice picture of working overseas ie Spore, how would you feel when a nice world turned hell, just because you're unpaid for 300 days?
Agencies fix the loan amount and made domestic workers thought employers owe them money (purposely didn't tell FDWs we helped to pay for their 10 months loan), pushed the blame to employers. FDWs assumed employers forced them work like slaves, unpaid for 10 months, most vented anger/frustration on employers (even though they were in the wrong), showed unhappiness as thought shortchanged by employers... how would relationship be good?
If there's no hefty loan, maid has option to get loan from home country bank and remit payment back, means domestic workers able to receive full salary from the first month, let them feel money in their own hands and being spent by themselves bit by bit, tension and misunderstanding can be greatly reduced.
This system will certainly benefit Spore families and FDWs. Fair, clear, transparent and ethical.
Angelmum
Q2: dependent on maids
As a mummy to a special needs child, it wasn't my choice to depend on maids. If I live in US or other western countries, I believe I'll get better support and help. If I need info, I can get from support group or other channels easily. If I need somebody to babysit my child, help is readily available, govt supportive. The equipment and education are also cheaper and heavily subsidized. Here in Spore, they are super costly!!
In Spore, I'm all alone, our govt doesn't intend to spend time and effort on people who has no future. I've been requesting for daycare centre to place my child so that I can work without hiring a maid but till today, my child going 10 years old, I'm still waiting for miracles ... get a place that is safe and fun for her while I work.
I don't want to depend of maids. To me, they are time bombs. Not easy to find a caring and great helper.
Other normal parents, some had to rely on maids as childcare centres are not operated on shift/24 hours and the hours are not flexible to suit parents who have lots of overtime or need to fly out for business trips.
Angelmum
Q3: differences in culture/habits/education
The main difference, Spore is a modern, sophisticated place with lots of high rise HDB flats. Our English education is not as simple as Indonesia/Philippines. Life here is tough. No work means can't pay HDB instalment, transport, living expenses, education, insurance, food, etc.
Indonesia/Philippines - citizens can choose to live Suburb, Simple and cheap Country life. In Spore, we don't have such a carefree option.
Food - we have different preference, ways of cooking are different too.
Habit - we like to have a clean, pest free house. Concept of Cleanliness means different to Indonesia/Philippines FDWs.
Culture - modern life style vs country life style.
Angelmum
Hi Angelmum,
Thank you very much for your reply.
Regarding the maid loan, note that if an employer hires a maid without the agency, the total cost is definitely less than $1000 including air ticket, insurance, medical checkup, work permit, etc. Most of the $3000+ maid loan goes into the pockets of the agencies who become filthy rich by exploiting the maids.
Dear Patrick,
I really hope that you can highlight the fact that the agencies are exploiting the maids by charging hefty maid loan, this is the best way to help the maids. Employers in Singapore are really helpless, don't waste time criticizing us like the CNN and Straits Times reporters.
I find the attitude of maids in recent years are not good or perhaps getting worse than maids of years ago. Anyone know why? All these publicity about maids rights etc has any impact. It will be good to know. I have a few incidents when getting a maid. I am suppsoed to interview the maid but ends up they interview me and tell me they don't want to do this and that and what they expect. Even telling me they want to go to bed by what time. Interesting! I find it hard to get a good maid nowadays. If can, I would also prefer without maid. But for reasons quoted by so many, is hard without a maid in S'pore if you are a working mum with kids. Maybe without kids is ok. Now I begin to understand why some married couples in S'pore rather have no kids.
Dear Patrick,
My sis in law lived in Europe before. 1 feedback is that it's not so dusty there. Unlike in S'pore one day never clean the house you can see a layer of white dust on furniture. So perhaps over there no need to clean the house so frequent. Another observation is S'pore is small, unlike in US. So we need to go more trips to the supermarkets as we are not able to stock up as much food or groceries. Trips to the supermarkets takes up our time too. Also here in S'pore though we have child care and student care centers, but they don't cater for dinner for kids. Hence after work, a working mum like me and if without maid, will need to rush to bring our children back from the centre and head home to cook so that our children can have healthy home cook meals. After that we need to wash up dishes (we can't have dish washer due to space constraint) and clean up the house. Wash the laundry. Again due to space constraint we can't have dryer and have to manual hang our clothes. This is very tiring and stressing.
Dear Patrick / Tamarind.
I am British Korean, I have a maid here in Singapore.
First I wondered why everyone needed a maid and thought women in England manage so why can't Singaporean women? Most of my friends back in UK had jobs and qualified as Lawyers, doctors, bankers. Unfortunately when they had 1,2 kids they took part time and eventually quit their jobs to look after the children due to child care. London housing is expensive but you can choose to live in a suburb or another city but here in Singapore, there are no other city. The housing cost if private condo/ apartment can start from One million dollars and up, cars can cost a small house in UK. Toyota will cost around one hundred twenty thousand dollars.
Now, looking at that figure, it is easier to understand why both parents need to work. Kids start school at 7am, my son wake up at 5:30 to get ready for a school bus at 6:20 am. If parents have been up late with work how can they wake up at 5am to get the kid ready? No child care centre open that early. School in Singapore is very demanding, Parents have to volunteer 40hrs or more just to get a placement for a kid. As Asian culture and family tie strong in Singapore grown up children are expected to look after the elderly and pay for the medical cost too should elderly person's insurance don't cover. I had no idea of hectic life style Singaporean's live and I admire that they can continue working and raising children. I hope this has made it a little easier to understand the need of maid.
Hes not in our shoes and doesn't understand what we're facing here. In Singapore if husband and wife earn a combined income of $3000 after the cpf deduction it is just enought to survive on. I do not own a car, we hav a combined income of $3-3200 a month n have a four year old and another one on the way. If I do not work,how can we possibly live comfortably? Groceries n quality food n milk for my child comes up to $400 a month. My parents n in laws are not in a state to look after my child n the childcare centres are full here. I hav been on wait list since 2010.
And to add on the the problems that employers are already facing we have the MOM who adds salt to the wound by praising the maids and insulting the mummies who have to slog to make a decent living for the family.
By one's understanding MOM is the Ministry of Manpower.
Now one wonders if that has been changed to Ministry of Maids.
In spite of the problems being brought up to MOM nothing has been done. In fact it seems that comments from employers are even deleted from the feedback as can be attested by those who try posting the feedback.
Feedback should be feedback. It makes one wonder why certain feedback has to be deleted!
If praising are for the real good cause, we are all supportive of it. But the issue it is not. There are so many problems which employers faced. Yet MOM choose to ignore it.
What is the real motive of ignoring all the issues of employers? Until now, we employers have yet to find out.
Employers are only allowed to change up to 4 maids within a year. Why the restrictions when employers are made to pay levy? Also, maids these days ask for transfer easily when they do not like what they do or employer just chide them over a mistake? This happens irregardless of how long they work. It can be 2 days or even within the day itself. Sound exaggerating huh? But it's the true.
So, if maid insisted that she does not want to work for an employer, can we stop her? But still eventually, this reflects as employer's problem. Why?
I have this personal experience. I have engaged two filipino maids in july 2011. One was with bad attitude, after a month. Second one just works for 2 weeks and asked for transfer cos her claim was that at 10am she has not taken her breakfast. But no one stops her from taking her meal at any time she wants. She failed to manage her time well and put the blame of employer. Subsequently, I changed to indo maid, a fresh maid. During interview, claimed she loves to take care of children. But when she starts work, she was more interested in calling home. I can understand it could be due to home sick. But despite giving her advises, she remains the same after 2 mths. I have two daughters under her care and there was a day at 3pm, she still had not given them lunch. How can I expect to leave my daughters in her care further?
Now current one, English is extremely bad. Despite this fact, she still refused to ask and like to assume. My children has problem communicating with her. I have problem too. But when I apply for a filipino maid. MOM told me that they require me to attend a classroom lesson again before they will approve my application.
But from my point, I think why do I need to attend the lesson. It's 3 hrs after work. It just a waste of time. It's not that I do not treat my maids well. I gave them enough food and they ate whatever I ate. I gave them sufficient rest. It was the maids' mentality which was wrong yet I have to suffer. Is this justified?
The next thing MOM also summoned my current maid for interview. It was a total waste of time. We made all the way there, at least 45 mins of travel journey and the interview was only 5 mins.
MOM is just literally interested if employer treated maid well, fed them well? They are not interested and concerned about employer's situation at all. It is just so unfair.
The government is not interested in improving employers' welfare and situation with maids. On the other hands, government expects its citizens to give birth.
Do you think people are stupid to do so when we know we do not have the essential support which we need.
Taking care of a child is a life long journey and responsibility. It is not like maid's job, just a 2yrs of contract.
Annie
Hi patrick
1. I dont know why MOM allows the situation to persist but I think removing the loan will be better for both the maid and the employer. Firstly, the maid is able to earn her full salary from day one and secondly, the employer isnt penalised financially when a maid decides to transfer. Quite often when a maid decides/request to leave or transfer, an employer has to do so as there is no point keeping an unhappy maid who may potentially run away and create further problesm for the employer by running away. Maids do realise that they are very much ''protected'' by the MOM and if you reprimand them, will easily say ''send me back'' as they know the employer has to foot the bill. I am told that if a maid terminates her employment prematurely in Hong kong, she would not be allowed to return to work. That ensures that the maid is committted and serious about her job and would only terminate if absolute necessary and not for flimsy reasons. What i think would be useful is a probationary period be introduced. During this period, the employer can return the maid to the agency without sufferring any financial loss. Very often, a maid is picked based on an unreliable bio data and she may look and sound different when she arrives. An employer does not have the chance to psychically interview the maid. A 5 minute phone interview should not be the basis for one to choose an employee. I have heard of maids asking someone else who can speak better english to do the interview. Bottomline: loan system has to go and a probationary period be introduced.
2. I think the lifestyle of american moms and sporeans are very different. There are a lot more child care centres and support groups in america. Mothers seem able to take a few years off work and then return to the workforce. In certain states, being a stay at home mom is the norm. Richer americans also have help when they have kids in the form of nannies. Otherwise, why would have african american women worked as domestic helpers in many households (i am thinking of the movie ''the help''). Up to high school, education is almost (if not totally) free for most americans. the school system isnt as pressuring. you dont hear of kids requiring tuition in america. tuition costs a lot. A average single income earner may not be able to afford tuition so women in spore have to work. a hdb flat costs a lot more than a spacious house in america. In any event, I do know of highly educated friends who become stay at home moms when they have kids in america. these are just some examples.
3.think the first big problem are these maids are from villages and are not used to living in a city, working at a faster pace and using electrical appliances, modern gadgets. they get no or insufficient training. maid agencies do not bother to properly train a maid first before sending them to work. that creates problems because not only has the maid got to learn how to use equipment, she also has poor command of english.this leads to frustration on both sides. if the agents had properly trained the maids and given them realistic expectations of life in spore, that would help. because they are mainly villagers, their hygeniene and cleanliness expecatations are different so that is also another form of tension. again, this can easily be corrected if maids are properly trained by the agents before coming to work.as for other cultural differences, those require give and take so i dont see them as big issues. one big problem is that there is no quality control. maids that are allowed to come in are not screened properly. some people are just not suited to be maids and should not even be here.
in essence, loans must go for maids to be accountable for their actions, maids have to foot the bill for their own return ticket if they choose to terminate their employment prematurely (in the absence of abuse as a cause for termination), probationary period be introduced, maids have to be interviewed and screened by agents first and trained before coming to work. Maids who terminate their employment prematurely more than 3x (in the absence of abuse) should not be allowed to return to spore to work as domestic workers
anna
To: Patrick Winn, Southeast Asia correspondent with Global Post
All the answers you want are in this blog. If you bother to read, you'll get what you want.
Of course, it is your choice to pick those that you like or prefer to show people in US or Bangkok.
Seriously, I don't know why would people be keen to know what Spore FDW's employers are made to go thru .... those unfair liabilities/responsibilities to bear, by law required to babysit an adult who is above 23 years old, working as domestic worker in our house.
Dear Parick/ Tamarind,
I think Singapore maybe more highlighted as it is English speaking country compare to rest of Asian country. It also has large number of expats compare to it's city state size.
As reference perhaps you could look at the maids in Emirates. The condition for the domestic worker here is not bad. Other places offer every Sunday off but Singapore will also offer that in January 2013. Employers here have to pay the Tax to the state for hiring domestic help. Employers are responsible for their full medical, dental, return air ticket. If help has only worked for 1 day and fall sick then employer has to pay medical and sometime send her back to her country if she is not fit to work. If a maid fall pregnant during employ ment then the employer has to repatriate her back immediately or employer could get in trouble.
Quote:
"All the answers you want are in this blog. If you bother to read, you'll get what you want.
Of course, it is your choice to pick those that you like or prefer to show people in US or Bangkok.
Seriously, I don't know why would people be keen to know what Spore FDW's employers are made to go thru .... those unfair liabilities/responsibilities to bear, by law required to babysit an adult who is above 23 years old, working as domestic worker in our house."
Thank you for writing this.
Both CNN and the Straits Times have published negative reports about my blog before. I wonder if Patrick will be different.
If a reporter really wants to report the truth, he/she should live in Singapore, and observe how maids really work here. He/she cannot write an accurate report only by doing research in the internet.
Thanks to HOME and TWC2, especially Jolovan Wham who wrote that maids are like slaves in Singapore, reporters from western countries are keen to save the maids by writing reports to expose the cruelty of the employers. The fact is that maids in Singapore carry mobile phones, have facebook accounts, and are able to send back money which is 4 times more than what they can earn in their home countries. It is idiotic to consider them as slaves.
I came across this news report on 23 May 2012.
Saudi rejects Indonesia demand for maid salary rise
“The negotiations have hit a snag again after the Saudi side rejected demands by Indonesia to raise the monthly wage of its maids in the Kingdom by 60 per cent,” the Saudi Arabic language daily Anbakum said.It said Jakarta wanted the minimum salary for its domestic workers in Saudi Arabia to be SR1,200 while Riyadh insists on SR800.
SR800 is only about SGD270. Humanitarian Organizations have criticized Singaporean employers for paying their maids too "little". Why do Indonesian maids work in Saudi Arabia which pays even lower ? The reason is because the maids earn only SGD100 a month if they work in their home country. They are happy to go anywhere which pays them more.
Dear all,
Thank you very much for sharing.
Quote:
"I think Singapore maybe more highlighted as it is English speaking country compare to rest of Asian country. "
Even though Singapore is an English speaking country, we do not live like the Americans. Our population is predominantly Chinese, so it makes more sense to compare us to people in Hong Kong and Taiwan.
Both CNN and the Straits Times have published negative reports about my blog before. I wonder if Patrick will be different.
================================
I am assuming that Patrick will be sending you a copy of his report so that the contributors to his article can read what he has written
My understanding is that it is not possible to employ a foreign maid in the U.S.A The average salary is of maid/housekeep in the U.S.A is USD21,900 a year (Source)
If Indonesian/Filipino maids are allowed to work in the U.S.A for USD350 a month, I guess many American working mothers will have maids. The fact that American mothers do not have maids is because they cannot afford them, not because they do not need maids.
SR800 is only about SGD270. Humanitarian Organizations have criticized Singaporean employers for paying their maids too "little".
============================
Ha Ha...
HO's have been parking themselves in the wrong country. They can have a field day in Saudi.
But then they know that Singaporeans are daft and easier to bully
And why not? Saudi resists and rejects. Our MOM just bend over....
Quote:
"I am assuming that Patrick will be sending you a copy of his report so that the contributors to his article can read what he has written"
Patrick has not promised to do so. That CNN reporter who reported about my blog did not bother to inform me when her report was published online.
Quote:
"Our MOM just bend over...."
MOM's is concerned about how to please other countries, after all, we are only a "little red dot". Employers of FDW are powerless.
Dear all,
Thanks for responding. Publishing schedules change by the day, but I expect that my report will be published this week on my agency's Web site (www.globalpost.com).
I've asked my editors to include links back to this page so that readers can view your comments directly.
Best,
Patrick Winn - GlobalPost
Tamarind said...
Quote:
"Our MOM just bend over...."
MOM's is concerned about how to please other countries, after all, we are only a "little red dot". Employers of FDW are powerless.
======================
Important point. Hope Patrick gets it
Patrick has not promised to do so. That CNN reporter who reported about my blog did not bother to inform me when her report was published online.
==============================
Common courtesy should prevail?
"SR800 is only about SGD270"
Saudi Arabia protects her own people. Singapore allows Foreigners to abuse/harm us and suck us dry!! Back in 2004, my first maid was only SGD220 when my 3rd child was born!! How did the maid salary go up to SGD400? Some ungrateful maids still demand SGD480 when they should be thankful that we give them a job/chance to earn SGD300 instead of getting SGD100 in their own country/ SGD270 in Saudi Arabia.
Why are we not protected?
The US people would hire maid if it was cheaper, I mean they had slavery for over 100 years!
Do not say Singaporean women cannot handle without maids. Maids are so lucky, we keep them safe and fed and clean. Rent is so expensive in Singapore and HDB expensive so don't forget part of the maid's salary is rent!
My new maid has previously worked in Lebanon. The main reason a lot of them go there is they can do that with a tourist VISA! No need for complicated paper work. They enter the country and secure employment while on holiday..OMG. The Philippine government previously banned any Domestic workers leaving for that country but if they visit other neighbouring states and travel to Lebanon then Philippine government will not be any wiser. (clever but scary maids) Can you imagine Saudi people being bullied by Indonesian government? no way, they are really proud and stubborn! If they get upset then cut off oil! Look at how Domestic workers are treated back at their own home country. Just because Singapore speaks English and is a gentle country, it should not be targeted unfairly by other countries where they have no maid experience. Please do your research justly and fairly. Look at other countries and issues not just Singapore. Saudi has death sentence. http://www.albawaba.com/editorchoice/behead-saudi-arabia-indonesian-maids-420297
How about Indonesian maid wanting to control the employer by using menstrual blood or urine?
Maid abuse employers too.
Dear Tamarind/Ladies
I just read Patrick's report!
check it out for your selves.
http://www.globalpost.com/dispatch/news/regions/asia-pacific/120529/singapore-maid-domestic-servant-labor-rights
not so white mummy
Tamarind,
Dear me, you have been mentioned about 6? times in his article.
All of his report is done in copy and paste of other reports that has previously been published. In fact I read most of chopped up articles in Strait times or other net works.
A real pity, why could Patrick be not more impartial and see it clearly rather then trying to get a headline grabbing article. He should have interviewed and did a lot more research then borrow other peoples ideas/work. If Americans are so Humanitarian and then why do they hire domestic helpers here in Singapore? why do they still pay the same salary as local employer pay? Be more gracious and pay what they would pay back in America or their home countries.
Not so white mummy
Hi Not so white mummy,
Thank you for posting the link. As I expected, no western reporters can truly understand the problems that employers faced, unless they have employed a maid in Singapore before. I am not surprised that Patrick lifted sentences out of my blog for the intention for condemning us, like other news reporters. Reporters like Patrick, Hilary White(CNN), and the Straits Times reporters are not interested in reporting the truth. They only see the maids as poor village girls being exploited, and fail to understand that the fact that being poor does not mean that they deserve to be paid even when they are lazy and rude.
In the very last paragraph, Patrick intentionally misquoted me :
"“Why should we be grateful to them? In fact, the maids should be grateful to us! ... Your message is very insulting to all the full-time working mothers of Singapore.”
The last sentence was my response to TJC's message to the maids:
"You are nannies to our children, you are caregivers to our elderly and disabled. And without you, I think many Singaporeans would not be able to go to work, or find it difficult to build their careers."
Tan Chuan Jin's message to maids
Instead, Patrick wrongly published that I was responding TJC's speech :
"“The examples that we set as parents, in the way that we treat our [foreign domestic workers], will be learnt by our children who are observing it everyday,” he said. “It reflects poorly on us if we don’t uphold those values, as befitting the society in Singapore, and that is something that all of us ought to bear in mind.”"
It is interesting to see how western reporters bend the truth to suit their own agenda.
Patrick has also failed to highlight the issue of the hefty maid loan. He failed to understand that the maids are being exploited by the maid agencies, NOT the employers.
Instead, he wrote about the mandatory off day. He is ignorant of the fact that for many years in Singapore, all maids have the freedom of choice to choose whether they want weekly off days or not. Many maids choose to have no off day, and they have always been compensated with extra pay. However, many maids changed their mind after they started work, and complained that the employers forced them to work without off days. These maids are lying. The fact is that they have agreed to no off day on their own free will in the first place.
Well, our own Minister of MOM is not supporting us. How can we expect a foreigner to understand the situation and story of employers of FDW.
Annie
patrick: where is the fact that richer americans also have help and many have had help in the past. where is the fact that other options are available to american moms that are not necessarily avail to spore moms or the different economic and lifestyle circumstances between america and spore? where is the fact that maid agencies or mom (if they want to take the responsibility) do not train maids properly or select suitable maids. what is the point of asking for feedback when none of the constructive feedback such as proper selection, proper training, possible probationary period, etc are not reflected in the article?
patrick; your article is disappointing given the feedback that was presented to you. anna
Hi Tamarind,
Appreciate your kind help in advising me 1) the steps on how I go about bringing in a domestic maid who is currently working in hong kong and has decided to come to Singapore to work for me ...2) is it true that she has to go back to Indonesia before she can proceed to Singapore to work for me. ... 3) who is responsible to pay for the air tickets
As the maid is rather elderly around 50 years old, I want her to go back to Indonesia and do up a passport that " under declare " her age ... Cos I'm worried that due to age restriction Mom might reject my application , whereas in Indonesia they can always choose to " over declare" or " under declare " their age.. Tks so much
Megan
Dear Tamarind,
We have learnt a lesson here have we not?
We should should not be making the same mistake again in future?
Do not waste valuable space and time here getting inputs when it is not even used and worse being misquoted.
Can you in future not post requests from people like this.
Aren't you glad that you did not give the phone interview? It would have been a waste of your time.
Next time ask them to read your blog as one poster suggested. if they are not willing to, forget about "helping" them.
This is a "slap" to all those who contributed their time to provide info for the article.
I will only be daft once
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We've been cheated!!
Globalpost a group that only has eyes for maids. They just want to magnify maids are suffering, exploit by Spore employers. They have no intention to be fair to us so what we are going thru... whatever we commented, to them, are bullshit... can't be compared to what the maids are 'suffering'.
This Patrick is a hyprocrite with hidden agenda. He's out to rub more salt onto our wound. Selfish and brainless asshole!!
Megan,
Click on the following link for more information:
Maids available for transfer
MOM has no rule stating that employer must pay for the air ticket to Singapore, they only state that employers must pay for their air ticket home. So it is up to you.
Quote:
"Aren't you glad that you did not give the phone interview? It would have been a waste of your time."
I never agree to give phone interviews precisely because I don't want to waste time.
I thought that other employers might be interested in replying, that is why I posted here.
If I don't reply at all, reporters will bend the truth even more.
I was hoping that Patrick will be smart enough to understand and highlight the issue of the maid loan, he is apparently not.
Tamarind said...
Quote:
"Aren't you glad that you did not give the phone interview? It would have been a waste of your time."
I never agree to give phone interviews precisely because I don't want to waste time.
I thought that other employers might be interested in replying, that is why I posted here.
If I don't reply at all, reporters will bend the truth even more.
I was hoping that Patrick will be smart enough to understand and highlight the issue of the maid loan, he is apparently not.
===============================
1. I think you can reply by telling him or her to read you blog which has more information to write any article on.
2. After he has written the article, you can ask him to send the article to you. You can offer to look through his article to add or correct any wrong facts that the article has so that you can help him to enhance the truth of the information that he is going to publish. This should show your sincerity to help. It will be hard to twist the fact that you did help by offering your blog as a resource and at the same time your time to help in looking through an unpublished article.
If anyone refused to do this you will know in advance their motive for wanting to write an article.
Your time is better spent in helping employers than being wasted by people without intergrity.
Patrick dropped a bait and we swallowed it. We should learn from our mistake.
Quote:
"2. After he has written the article, you can ask him to send the article to you. You can offer to look through his article to add or correct any wrong facts that the article has so that you can help him to enhance the truth of the information that he is going to publish"
No reporter will ever agree to do this. If I don't reply to him, he will just read the blog and write whatever he wants without my approval. I cannot stop any reporter from writing about my blog without consulting me first. The Straits Times reporter did that.
By replying to his blog, anyone with common sense can understand that the reporter is not reporting the truth.
My intention was to highlight the issue of the maid loan. Since there is a link back to this blog, hopefully some activists will be smart enough to understand that this is the real problem that needs a solution.
Sorry, Tamarind. Even our multi-million dollar salaried ministers are not smart enough to understand the maid loan issue. What hope do we have for "well-meaning"(?) poorly paid NGOs to bother?
I find it hard to believe that anyone paid $1 million a year is not smart enough to understand the problem of the maid loan. I suspect he just does not bother to do anything, unless compelled by external forces.
Tamarind said...
Quote:
"2. After he has written the article, you can ask him to send the article to you. You can offer to look through his article to add or correct any wrong facts that the article has so that you can help him to enhance the truth of the information that he is going to publish"
No reporter will ever agree to do this. If I don't reply to him, he will just read the blog and write whatever he wants without my approval. I cannot stop any reporter from writing about my blog without consulting me first. The Straits Times reporter did that.
===========================
So what is the difference? Might as well don't entertain them.
They are going to write what they want anyway and you cannot stop them just like ST and now Patrick.
The difference is people who are too lazy to read my entire blog to understand what it is about, can read our replies and realize that the reporter is not reporting accurately.
Dear Tamarind
You and employers of FDWs seem to be climbing up a steep wall where
FDWs issues are concerned. MOM, NGOs are not sympathetic nor want to understand us.
The cost of living (not necessarily standard of living) is going sky high and escalating by the day. There was a 2-page write-up in the Straits times on 2 June 2012 that shows the vast difference in cost of a house and car in Spore and the USA. You can even buy an island off Maine, USA, for the price of a 3-room HDB flat. So how to compare the USA and Spore? Who has been pushing up the cost of living? Many imminent economists and financial analysts have attributed this to govt polices. The bottom line of each ministry is the most important to them. Each is working to show how much revenue each can genrate per year. Bonuses of officials depend on that! So MOM will not reduce workers' levies, shout as we may. Land
Trannsport will not lower COEs and taxes and so the cost of cars climb. Hence Sporeans can buy only a China-made Chery whereas Americans can buy a Porsche with the same amount of money. So what do the average Sporean do ? Work VERY VERY to get some money to live in a small HDB flat. And in order to go out to work, we employ FDWs. Do the outside world and govt understand us? NO!!
Great sigh and huff of anger!
Tamarind said...
The difference is people who are too lazy to read my entire blog to understand what it is about, can read our replies and realize that the reporter is not reporting accurately.
=======================
So you will still entertain such future requests and post it on your blog for employers to comment and going through the same process?
Quote:
"So you will still entertain such future requests and post it on your blog for employers to comment and going through the same process?"
Depends on whether I am free or not. I happen to have some free time when Patrick emailed me, it took me less than an hour to write the reply. If I am busy, I don't even have time to check my email.
Anyway, even if I don't write the reply, it takes me only two minutes to post his email in my blog. I appreciate all the other employers who replied. I read all the replies, and I don't think it is a waste of time.
Quote:
"The cost of living (not necessarily standard of living) is going sky high and escalating by the day. There was a 2-page write-up in the Straits times on 2 June 2012 that shows the vast difference in cost of a house and car in Spore and the USA"
Thanks for posting this. I have given up hope for any western reporters to understand our problems. However, our gahmen, especially those who are paid million dollar salaries, have no excuse for not understanding how average Singaporeans live.
I just paid over $600K for a 130 sq m flat. In USA, I can buy a big bungalow with a garden in certain states. I work very hard trying to earn a living and teach my kids. What do I get in return ? MOS telling me that I should be grateful to my maid. What a joke.
Do u know whose the boss? My maid is. Both me & my husband work. Morning all of us help to prepare my two boys to school. Sending them to childcare is only 6 blocks away - either husband + maid or me + maid send. After sending, all off for work. We go to office hawked by our bosses, work under pressure. Maid back home, no one around- own time own target. No need to cook for luch.Do the usual things clean floor, wash the clothes/ironing, these her only daily must do chores. The rest, cleaning of fridge, windown or any other extra duties MUST tell then do. Or else they just won't do. Dirties part of the house, thorough cleaning and scrubing, dust at corner, they will not bother or heartto do, I have to do it. Now we have to clean the windown as well. What can we said, we are totally at their mercy, I need her to cook home cook dinner and bring the kids back from school if we end up working late in office. Is really maid in Singapore work that hard? Only prepare dinner and help pick up kids from Childcare at 6pm.
"Maid back home, no one around- own time own target. No need to cook for luch.Do the usual things clean floor, wash the clothes/ironing, these her only daily must do chores. The rest, cleaning of fridge, windown or any other extra duties MUST tell then do."
Wow, good life!
If childcare centres can stay open till 8pm, I guess more working parents can fire their FDWs out of Spore.
It is our govt who is unwilling to be pro-family.... just do a bit more, can't they?
See all those pro-maid and pro-agencies, how to work and excel in our roles as employee and parents? We want children but with all these FDWs issues which could be resolved if govt/MOM not so blinded to be branded 'Ministry of Maids'.
If govt willing to pay me a miserable slavery S$450/mth, I'll stay home protect my children, kick FDWs out. When come to subsidy, govt and VWOs made a huha on the amount most people felt low .... S$450, working 24/7. Pay others that amount too low, pay us (citizens) 24/7 TOO much, weird PAP logic!!
Honestly, if you don't work in US, you still get damned a lot of benefits. Here, we don't work, CPF not enough, no roof over our heads, cannot buy baby milk and diapers, go hospital still have to pay even though after subsidy (coz no medisave). My grandfather, in his passing, left a $17k hospital bill even after subsidy (he was in c class only!) ad thanks to my aunt buying him a hefty medical insurance plan which cost $100 plus a month, that was reduced to only $3k plus. So if no work, no money for insurance, how to pay hospital bill?
Americans have so many govt payouts. Don't work, govt gives you money. Insurance there is cheap. And so is housing, transport, childcare. Just send kids off to a home based nanny. Here, you have laws against that. And legal childcare systems charge you at least for what I'm paying now, my 3yo is $236 even after a $300 subsidy. And if I give up having a maid and put my 8mth old in infant care, after subsidy it's $599. Which is even more than I'm paying for a maid and yet I have to personally pick and send my kids, I have to clean my house myself though I'm tired from work and taking care of the kids when j come home at night.
I'm so sick of people judging! They don't know anything and they don't have a right!
Americans are good at suing people. Cant tell them they're fat, get sued for discrimination. Can't tell them they're pretty, get sued for sexual harassment. Can't tell them they're biased, get sued for slander.
So much for freedom of speech!
Not happy or pocket feeling empty, just sue someone to get some quick cash!
I am getting sick of my current maid. She spent about 5-6hrs on face book daily on top of phone calls. Sometimes go to bed at 2pm cos she was up the nite before on facebook. Read my newsapaper right under my nose.
I have done all i can do short of slapping her but it dosent help. Had wanted to sent her home but my hubby wanted her to complete her contract 1st but now he is telling me that she doesnt put effort in working here and also agree to sent her home.
I have intended not to get anymore maid as i many bad experiences with my last few maids.
Can anyone recomend a reliable honest part time maid? I knew 1 from china, very hardworking and clean but dosent want to do ironing which i require and she is also very selective with household.
I live in Simei, and will be releasing my maid end of november. Appreciate your help. Thank you.
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