The Blanket Ban

At first it was the Indonesian ban.
Now it's the Cambodian ban.
Maids are a rare commodity now. They blame it on the cruelty of the Malaysian employers; maybe there are cases but many a time it is also not true.

My aged parents have been the victims of the maids' ploys. There have been at least 3 cases when the maids ran away with men friends and left them in the lurch. Each time one ran away, they lost thousands of ringgit in agency fees and hundreds of dollars in changing the house locks. Foreign authorities must also know that there are employers who need genuine help and all they want is sensibility in the house help who do not abuse rights and care given them.
If only the house helps are responsible in dispensing their duties and not out to conspire against their employers. If only employers can leave the house with little fear and not be worried stiff. If only there were mutual care and concern.
If only ...

See this plot of land? Weeds are growing freely...

Almost every evening, I will say hello to her as I walk around my area. I ponder over her duties; one of which of course includes weeding. All she does is weed, weed, weed for at least an hour an evening? What other more lucrative job can she do back home? Perhaps she's paid RM500.00 a month? It could be more if the fees are included. Now she stays in a bungalow with basic amenities provided. Back home if I gauge correctly, she probably hails from a rural place and denied clean water, electricity and even ceiling fans. She must be happier here comparatively. So, it's her good fortune to be here. So, someone is doing her a favour too.

Malaysians are fortunate as the government allows house help of this nature. Rarely can you find it in other 1st world countries and yet people manage their lives without such help. Send babies to day care centers and let them grow up with weekly dosages of coughs and colds, cook simple meals ; buy if need to and be less fussy about clean floors. And most important of all, discard big houses and stay in little ones...good contingency plans.

Life has many ups and downs; even the maid issue can turn your world upside down...

I want to notice little things that make me smile; like this pair of slippers that I found one of the teachers wearing in school for quick runs and washing times before prayers. I tried them on; had a good laugh as it made me recall my childhood days and how this would have kept me happy for days. Among my girls, Sara will love this pair most...

Let's learn to be happy albeit matters of maids running away, and governments banning here and there...look for Filipinos la.

Problem solved.