Foreign maids snubbing Singapore
By Seah Chiang Nee in Kuala Lumpur/The Star | ANN – Sat, Oct 8, 2011Kuala Lumpur (The Star/ANN) - The new generation of Indonesian and Filipina maids, who are better educated and have a higher expectation of life, prefer to work in Hong Kong and Taiwan as their take-home pay is much higher due to minimal tax.
The era of cheap maids streaming into Singapore to find work, particularly from Indonesia and the Philippines, may be coming to an end.
With South-East Asia enjoying better living, Singaporeans - who are among the world's biggest employers - may soon find this supply becoming scarcer and more expensive.
The new generation of Indonesians and Filipinas, including the rural women, is better educated and has a higher expectation of life.
Indonesia, in particular, has been growing at a steady pace during the past 20 years; and to a lesser extent, the Philippines, as well.
With the rise of global jobs and budget travel, their people have more job opportunities at home and abroad.
Many maids have become salesgirls, hairdressers, office assistants, etc, thrown up by an expanding middle class.
More are seeking training to move into higher-paying jobs in healthcare, computers and tourism.
Recently, I attended a Buddhist funeral rite, in which the monks who performed it had the help of a woman who hailed from Java.
She had been with the troupe for nearly 10 years, speaking and chanting prayers in Chinese.
On the last night, she was helped by a second lady, a Filipino woman.
Their salaries were several times higher than what a maid would get.
Globalisation never ceases to amaze!
In Singapore, many employers have not realised the extent of some of these changes in the region.
The older ones still see the maid as an unchanging person left behind by progress, an agency representative said.
"They don't realise there is a big difference between the young maids who come to our shores today and those who arrived a generation earlier," she added.
It is not unlike the gap between two generations of Singaporeans, she said.
Today's maid from the Philippines or Indonesia is no longer the same as older ones who came in the 70s or 80s.
She is generally better schooled, has higher ambitions and is probably less deferential to orders rudely given.
The agency representative said: "You can't work her like you could her mother!"
Dwindling supply is, however, not the only worry. For years, they have been losing the competitive edge against Hong Kong and Taiwan employers because of a special S$345 (US$265) monthly levy they need to pay for hiring a maid.
This means that, although the monthly costs add up about the same for the three countries, the maid in Singapore takes home only half of what she gets elsewhere.
Effectively, a maid who works in Hong Kong and Taiwan has a much higher take-home pay because the tax is minimal.
For example, a fresh Indonesian maid currently earns S$380-$400 a month, depending on age and experience.
It is higher than the official recommended salaries of S$280-$320 a month.
The first blow to the employers here was harder-and-costlier-to-get English-speaking Filipinos, who are widely sought after in not only Asia but also the Middle East.
When the Manila embassy demanded a minimum pay of about S$520 a month, many employers turned to Indonesia.
Today, the circle has turned.
Many Indonesians who have completed a two-year contract are quick to move to Hong Kong and Taiwan, where their earnings just about doubled.
A Javanese girl who has learned enough English to leave, told a friend: "Sorry ma'am, in Hong Kong I can earn in 12 months what it takes two years to make in Singapore."
She uses a smart-phone and aspires to buy a tablet.
"I can't afford that in Singapore," she added. Her sister had worked in Bahrain and is now going home to open a small restaurant there.
This trend is inevitable and a long time coming.
In the early 80s, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had warned that the easy supply of maids would dry up once the neighbours became more prosperous.
The pace of arrivals has matched, as well as fuelled, Singapore's economic growth.
By 1988, there were already 40,000 of them, a figure that rose four-fold to 160,000 by 2005 and 201,000 last year. The number of Indonesian maids alone today totals 90,000.
Seven in 10 new arrivals are from its hinterland.
In recent years the pressure has forced Singaporeans to seek maids from Myanmar, India and Bangladesh.
"I doubt if these countries can train enough maids to meet our demand," an agent told a reporter.
Steadily the noose of high cost is tightening. The Philippine government has stipulated a minimum salary of about S$500 a month, which turned the demand to Indonesia.
And now the wheel turns again.
Jakarta wants to see a minimum of S$450 as a starting monthly pay - and employers and the government are reluctant to comply.
Recently, the government fined 16 employment agencies more than S$150,000 for collectively fixing the pay of new Indonesian maids, raising it from S$380 to S$450.
They were charged under the city's price-fixing laws, turning down arguments that the hike was a necessary market response to free up supply of maids.
The next move may be Indonesia's.
It is increasing pressure to protect the interests of its workers abroad.
A Jakarta official reportedly indicated that his government may be considering cutting off supply to Singapore - until it agrees on the minimum pay of S$450 a month.
That could bring the cost of a maid to about S$900-S$1,000 all-in - a monthly sum that could push out many Singaporeans from the market.
Some see it as a delaying action to postpone the inevitable.
With the global trends moving at such fast pace, the history of the maid in South-East Asia may end in the longer term.
The era of cheap maids streaming into Singapore to find work, particularly from Indonesia and the Philippines, may be coming to an end.
With South-East Asia enjoying better living, Singaporeans - who are among the world's biggest employers - may soon find this supply becoming scarcer and more expensive.
The new generation of Indonesians and Filipinas, including the rural women, is better educated and has a higher expectation of life.
Indonesia, in particular, has been growing at a steady pace during the past 20 years; and to a lesser extent, the Philippines, as well.
With the rise of global jobs and budget travel, their people have more job opportunities at home and abroad.
Many maids have become salesgirls, hairdressers, office assistants, etc, thrown up by an expanding middle class.
More are seeking training to move into higher-paying jobs in healthcare, computers and tourism.
Recently, I attended a Buddhist funeral rite, in which the monks who performed it had the help of a woman who hailed from Java.
She had been with the troupe for nearly 10 years, speaking and chanting prayers in Chinese.
On the last night, she was helped by a second lady, a Filipino woman.
Their salaries were several times higher than what a maid would get.
Globalisation never ceases to amaze!
In Singapore, many employers have not realised the extent of some of these changes in the region.
The older ones still see the maid as an unchanging person left behind by progress, an agency representative said.
"They don't realise there is a big difference between the young maids who come to our shores today and those who arrived a generation earlier," she added.
It is not unlike the gap between two generations of Singaporeans, she said.
Today's maid from the Philippines or Indonesia is no longer the same as older ones who came in the 70s or 80s.
She is generally better schooled, has higher ambitions and is probably less deferential to orders rudely given.
The agency representative said: "You can't work her like you could her mother!"
Dwindling supply is, however, not the only worry. For years, they have been losing the competitive edge against Hong Kong and Taiwan employers because of a special S$345 (US$265) monthly levy they need to pay for hiring a maid.
This means that, although the monthly costs add up about the same for the three countries, the maid in Singapore takes home only half of what she gets elsewhere.
Effectively, a maid who works in Hong Kong and Taiwan has a much higher take-home pay because the tax is minimal.
For example, a fresh Indonesian maid currently earns S$380-$400 a month, depending on age and experience.
It is higher than the official recommended salaries of S$280-$320 a month.
The first blow to the employers here was harder-and-costlier-to-get English-speaking Filipinos, who are widely sought after in not only Asia but also the Middle East.
When the Manila embassy demanded a minimum pay of about S$520 a month, many employers turned to Indonesia.
Today, the circle has turned.
Many Indonesians who have completed a two-year contract are quick to move to Hong Kong and Taiwan, where their earnings just about doubled.
A Javanese girl who has learned enough English to leave, told a friend: "Sorry ma'am, in Hong Kong I can earn in 12 months what it takes two years to make in Singapore."
She uses a smart-phone and aspires to buy a tablet.
"I can't afford that in Singapore," she added. Her sister had worked in Bahrain and is now going home to open a small restaurant there.
This trend is inevitable and a long time coming.
In the early 80s, former prime minister Lee Kuan Yew had warned that the easy supply of maids would dry up once the neighbours became more prosperous.
The pace of arrivals has matched, as well as fuelled, Singapore's economic growth.
By 1988, there were already 40,000 of them, a figure that rose four-fold to 160,000 by 2005 and 201,000 last year. The number of Indonesian maids alone today totals 90,000.
Seven in 10 new arrivals are from its hinterland.
In recent years the pressure has forced Singaporeans to seek maids from Myanmar, India and Bangladesh.
"I doubt if these countries can train enough maids to meet our demand," an agent told a reporter.
Steadily the noose of high cost is tightening. The Philippine government has stipulated a minimum salary of about S$500 a month, which turned the demand to Indonesia.
And now the wheel turns again.
Jakarta wants to see a minimum of S$450 as a starting monthly pay - and employers and the government are reluctant to comply.
Recently, the government fined 16 employment agencies more than S$150,000 for collectively fixing the pay of new Indonesian maids, raising it from S$380 to S$450.
They were charged under the city's price-fixing laws, turning down arguments that the hike was a necessary market response to free up supply of maids.
The next move may be Indonesia's.
It is increasing pressure to protect the interests of its workers abroad.
A Jakarta official reportedly indicated that his government may be considering cutting off supply to Singapore - until it agrees on the minimum pay of S$450 a month.
That could bring the cost of a maid to about S$900-S$1,000 all-in - a monthly sum that could push out many Singaporeans from the market.
Some see it as a delaying action to postpone the inevitable.
With the global trends moving at such fast pace, the history of the maid in South-East Asia may end in the longer term.
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sarah lLife is hard enough as it is... the government should really re-look at the levy. On top of that, I think Singaporean employers need to be educated - in every sense of the word - no more ill-treating their maids, they are human beings too, someone's daughter, sister, wife.... the way many Singaporeans treat their maids, it is shameful. I don't have one coz I can't afford one and don't have a room for one. I think many maids here do not have the luxury of even sharing a room with a member of the family. Many of them are left to sleep in the living room. That is really sad.
OdomboPhilippines is a country who gives values to EDUCATION for the pursuit of a better life!!! Stay away from being MAIDS!! IT IS EQUIVALENT TO SLAVERY!!!!
We only have ONE LIFE TO LIVE! Why waste it simply to be a servant for hire!!!
FreedomIIt has been years that educational level criteria for maid must be from High School but employers still face difficulties educating the maid to understand their instructions. In fact the older generation maids are better in understanding instructions and more hardworking. The latest trend of maids all wants handphone and off day but not prepares to work hard. They seem to have difficulties understanding employers’ instructions in English but well-versed in conversation with their male friends in English. My maid is not here to work but to enjoy life. More than half of her salary is on mobile charges. News of maid shortage does not seem to be true at all as it seems to be from some agencies who are lately being fined for price-fixing. The agent which I patronize has more than 50 biodatas. The reason for asking for rise in maid’s salary is for the agent’s benefit only as they can now charge maximum 2 months of the maid’s salary as compared to previously.
michaelWell.................time to increase the pay of all low and middle income singaporean too......as they too are underpaid for a long time!!!! we will not need maid if singapore husbands are paid fairly and the wives can stay home to take care of our children better than all those maids and foreign works who are lowering our poor singaporean wages!!! LSL SHOULD LOOK INTO THIS AS WELL THAN PAMPERING THOSE GREEDY BOSSES!!
- JBMA
Buy car must pay COE. Hire maid must pay levy. Govt want to make money from everything. I don't think Malaysia is paying their maid well. Give the maid the levy as salary and problem is solved.
- Kim
Let’s face it, the whole keeps changing and people will get smarter and smarter. Which human doesn’t want to lead a simple and happy life? Now alot of these maids or maids-to-be would rather open their legs wide to earn a very good income. Easy job, easy money. No need wash toilet, sweep floor, mop floor, wash clothes, iron, cook etc. just spread their legs wide wide can liao. KA KUI TUA TUA, TAN TUA LUI.
- Roger
It has come to a time for change!
Gov its time to take away the monthly levy or to sacrifice the votes.
Always talk abt mkt competition... now we loss due to gov mthly levy! f@#!%k
Some of us employ maid out of no choice not for luxuries. Cost of living already so heavy, pls help us to remove some load if you care about the middle class, give n not take for this time. If no peace in domestic issues, dont expect peace & prosperity will follow.
Some of us are crying for help! Can you hear it? Deaf? 
abdulThe mindset of maid employers must change. They must be educated on what the word maid means. There are many local women whom would anytime work as live-out maids. Maybe maid agency would like to look into introducing it to would-be employers.
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- May
To those employers who think maids are stupid and that they can mistreat them, you're far way wrong!
30 years ago, my mom went to Israel to work as domestic helper. Her Employer didn't like the way she cooked so they sent her to culinary school. She was working as their maid for 7 years when her employer (Husband and wife) died from a car crash. They had 12 years old son and and 5 year old daughter. Mom didn't want to leave the children and took upon herself to take care of them. She went looking for a job as a cook and fortunately got one in a restaurant...till she became a business partner of that restaurant. She was very good in money and was to able to start her own restaurant in Germany. We migrated there when I was 15. I was the 5 years old daughter of her deceased employer but we look up to her as our biological Mom. We are now in the Philippines to visit Mom's family.
Point being, be good to your maid or subordinates because you'll never know what future brings! 
udo we really need maids? Only the rich should get maids just like the rest of the world...common ppl also want maid? poor ppl also want expensive car? premium housing next to MRT in matured estate?
Sometimes the Singaporean priority should be examined. If poor, live like a poor man.
KNN these days earn a measly $3k act like kings, have maid, have car, have HDB in matured estate....but with 300k bank loan, 20k credit card bill...... Singapore has the most snobbish poor ppl in the world...- yahooing
Good, then go work elsewhere. Maybe local maid is the final solution. ( 7 - 5pm only ). No more levy, no more social problems, less congested MRTs. It will benefits unemployed women and prospective employers also. I have 3 maids before, it was good only in the beginning, I have since switch to local. I'm very happy now....
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AZI think the government will have to rethink about the levy and bond which is more than the salary of the maid unless they want Singapore women to either remain childless for a longer period of time (declining fertility rates) or women to remain at home caring for their children. The other option is to raise the salaries of women to meet the higher cost of getting childcare help.
It is very hard nowadays for women to balance work-family without some form of child/family assistance. In the west, it is common for women to work part-time, have flexible work arrangements where they are able to go to drop-off, pick-up kids, time-off to attend to family illnesses or emergencies, nannies and babysitters (expensive), or just stay and care for their kids while getting benefits and payments. If Singapore government does not want this option of mothers staying off work (and paying them) to care for their children --- they better come up with something fast otherwise it all adds up to a vicious cycle.
Women would not want to have more kids, or have kids later in life when they feel they do not have enough support or could afford it. You think PRs are an endless supply.....? Like maids, they would also eventually dry up.- Spaghetti
Rubbish, the world is getting poorer than ever before. The good news is that modern slavery is coming to an end if this article is true..
- Anonymous
having a maid at home is a luxury due to higher cost of living and low pay. That also resulted in people having maid tend to 'overuse' them, i can understand why other countries are better..i would love to work oversea too at this rate the cost of living is going up.
Internationalmanpowerwhen i wen to my friend home i saw a 42 years old maid but she was very active and she take care of each and everyone in that family she was working in Singapore for more than 13years.The employer also take care of her .the employer allowed them have the maids daughter with them.but the lady is still working with that employer but she never get any salary from the employer since her daughter is with her.But nowadays the employer ordering to do many works to that lady and the employer lady will not even allow the maid to take leave or not allowing to take rest or she will not help her.But still she is working there all because of her daughter.she is very sacrificing lady.they will not even give $10 to her for her expense.....where is the god i dont know...
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- ng
Actually, the take home salary of a HK domestic helper is about S$600. This is not much difference with what Singaporean employers pay out from our pocket every month, including the government levy of between $165 to $265. If our government can drop the levy and we pay the equivalent amount of the levy to our helper instead, we can be equally competitive as HK in terms of salary attractiveness.
- angry
The article missed out China. My good friend could not compete or pay as much as those rich Chinese across the border from HK. The Chinese can offer up to RMB8000.00 (about S$1600) and my friend lost her Indonesia maid to China. Her maid is exceptionally good - can understand and speak Cantonese, English and Chinese.
Singapore has absolutly no way to compete.
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