Halting start to Cambodian maid pilot scheme

The plan was for six selected employment agencies to bring in 400 workers from Cambodia, in a bid to meet the demand for maids here.

But the pilot programme by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) appears to be getting off to a slow start, with three of the participating agencies reporting challenges in bringing in workers.

One agency has only brought in one worker since the programme kicked off in May, while the other two said they have brought in “a handful”. Their counterparts in Cambodia claim “political strife” was limiting their ability to send workers here, the agencies said.

“The crux of the problem is that there are only three agencies in Cambodia for this pilot, so supply is rigidly controlled and we are at their discretion,” said Mr Ronnie Toh, owner of A C Toh Enterprises, one of the six participating agencies. “It is quite frustrating, because we are hungry for the workers, and they are all good and well-trained,” he added.

The agencies suggested that more agencies in Cambodia be roped into the programme to boost supply.

The pilot is scheduled to run until 2015. If successful, Cambodia could be added to the MOM’s list of approved source countries and territories for maids, lowering Singapore’s dependence on maids from the Philippines and Indonesia.

Responding to queries, an MOM spokesperson said: “The objective of the pilot scheme is to assess if Cambodian foreign domestic workers (FDWs) are suitable to work in Singapore households, and Cambodia as a viable source country.

“The selection of Cambodian recruitment agencies is solely the prerogative of the Cambodian government. The MOM will not interfere in the domestic FDW supply processes in Cambodia, as this constitutes part of the ground situation for a realistic assessment of Cambodia as a potential new source of FDWs.”

Ms Connie Sim of Prestige Management Services, another participating agency, said the trickle of maids from Cambodia is understandable. “Singapore has very high standards for domestic workers, so we’re looking at hiring those who have had experience in Malaysia,” she noted. “It’s a pilot project, and we want to make sure the girls are well taken care of and proper regulations followed.” EMILY LIU