PETALING JAYA: A number of Malaysians who are desperate for domestic help have fallen victim to syndicates offering “recycled” as well as untrained workers.

       There are many advertisements on social media that promote maid service and offer assistance to look for maids who are willing to work for RM1,200 and up to RM2,000 per month.

       The Star approached a maid recruiter who promised a monthly wage of RM1,500 to RM1,600 with a contract of minimum three months and up to a year.

       The reporter was asked whether she was okay to work as a stay-in maid and start work immediately.

       Upon agreeing, she received a “biodata” of her future employer and was told to go straight to the employer’s house.

       The employers, however, were promised a highly trained maid for just RM5,000 – making it an attractive deal, compared to a foreign maid who could cost up to RM15,000.

       An employer, who wished to be known only as Qila, claimed that the local maid whom she paid more than RM5,000 refused to work after two weeks of employment.

       “She said she could not stand it and she had to resign because she’s scared that she might hit my children.

       “I got a replacement but then I saw an advertisement on Facebook where the agency was ‘promoting’ my current maid to some other employers.

       “I find that odd. At the same time, the agency kept asking for a ‘three-point discussion’ because they claimed that I was too rigid with the maid, but I had been quite lenient with her,” said the teacher.

       Besides her maid being “promoted” to potential employers, Qila, 38, also found many advertisements by her agent looking for maids and offering maid service.

       “It makes me wonder whether he actually vets them. When I use the same method, I get over 50 inquiries but when I explain about their job scope, only a few will be interested in the job,” she said.

       On top of the RM5,000 fee, she paid RM1,300 a month to the maid whom she claimed had no working experience at all.

       “The second maid didn’t do any cleaning work,” she said.

       Another employer, who identified herself as Dr Hana, 36, said she paid RM4,400 to the maid agency but her maid ran away after three days.

       “We had a contract but the company’s representative, who is also the driver who sent the maid to my house, put a fake name on the contract.

       “The maid arrived at about 7pm in March and I was told to pay in full using instant transfer.

       “We had an orientation, then she went to bed. She woke up at 5am and told me she didn’t want to work. She said the agency promised her something else and refused to leave her room.

       “I called the agency later in the morning but no one answered. The maid ran away the next day and that was when the agency responded and blamed me for the situation.

       “I lodged a police report and was told of a similar case involving the same agency; it happened exactly the same way,” said Dr Hana.

       She added that the company was using an expired Companies Commission of Malaysia (SSM) registration number.

       Ampang Jaya OCPD Asst Comm Mohamad Farouk Eshak confirmed Dr Hana’s police report.

       He said the modus operandi was that the suspect promises a maid who could work but when the maid fails to do so, the agency cannot be contacted for a replacement.

       “The police have opened an investigation under Section 420 of the Penal Code for the offence of fraudulently supplying maids.

       “People should be careful in dealing with offers of maid service and always vet the company,” he said.

       Meanwhile, Khaliesah Aimi Kamal Ariffin, 35, also had a bad experience last year with the same agency used by Dr Hana.

       “They asked for RM400 as deposit and for them to look for a candidate. I only have to pay the full amount, which is about RM4,000, if they manage to find one.

       “The agency contacted me a month later, saying the maid could be sent to me the next day and that the salary would be RM1,200 a month.

       “When I asked whether the maid had been tested for Covid-19 and other illnesses, the agency said they would only check the maid’s ‘body temperature’.

       “Then what is the purpose of us paying them RM4,000? What if the maid has underlying diseases? I insisted that they send her for a thorough medical check-up before I would take her.

       “They said they will check with their ‘human resources’, but till this day, they haven’t got back to us,” she said, adding that she is still without a maid.

       Khaliesah, who is desperate to find a helper to take care of her sick mother, expressed concern over the possibility that many would fall victim to such a syndicate, especially with the increase in cost of hiring foreign maids.

       “It is sad to see Malaysians preying on desperate locals who may no longer afford to hire foreign maids,” said the pharmacist.

       National Association of Human Resources Malaysia (Pusma) president Zarina Ismail said families needing a maid must wait for at least another three months.

       This, she said, is due to the tedious application process and teething problems with the online application system for a foreign maid.