Maid says her employer might want her to move to M’sia to care for elderly relative, says ‘I didn’t pay $1K to come sg then transfer to Msia’

SINGAPORE — A foreign domestic helper took to social media to question her employer’s decision to allow her to attend caregiver classes.

In an anonymous post to Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the maid wrote that when she asked her employers if she could attend Sunday school and take classes to be a caregiver, “w/o hesitation they agreed”.

She added that she was almost done with six months of learning how to be a caregiver and would attend on-the-job training soon. She wrote that last Chinese New Year her employers brought her to their hometown in Malaysia where she “found out the reason why they agreed w/o hesitation because one of thier (sic) family member was very old and in incontinent situations (sic)“.

“now I have a hint that after my class they will ask me to take care of thier (sic) elderly in Malaysia. Should I accept if they ask me? if yes, my permit will still under MOM or in Malaysia government? And; how much the minimum wage of a caregiver in Malaysia if anyone knows,” the helper asked.

In the comments section, the maid explained that she paid a thousand dollars to come to Singapore and be employed here and did not want to go to Malaysia. She added that the reason for her speculation was that her employers also joked that once her classes were done, she would be sent to Malaysia to take care of her employer’s elderly relatives.

“Yes maybe u guys thinking I’m just jumping into (sic) conclusions or I think too much. i forgot to mentioned on my post that they told me already in a joke way that after my school i took care thier (sic) elderly. i just smile cause I don’t know how to respond infront if (sic) them. Cause I didn’t pay a thousand dollars to come sg then transfer to Malaysia after I payed my loan to my agency. thats why I’m here asking for help if I accept if they offer a good offer. would be my permit still under MOM or Malaysia government..anyway thanks to all the comments, much appreciated”, the maid wrote.

Here’s what netizens said in response:

Last year, a foreign domestic helper took to social media complaining about the treatment that a friend of hers – also a maid – was subject to.

In an anonymous post to Facebook group FDW in Singapore (working conditions forum), the maid wrote: “Good day I want to ask if the employer bring the helper go holiday did you ask ur helper to pay there own ticket?”

Other helpers who responded to her post in the group chat wrote that it was unreasonable of the employer to make their foreign domestic helper pay for her own ticket while on holiday, and then make her work there as well.

An administrator in the group commented: “Unless helper requested to be tagged along for the holiday, then employer must pay the ticket. If employer will bring helper along to the holiday to help out, then they should pay for her ticket. Otherwise, don’t bring helper along”.

To this, the maid wrote that her friend was asked if she wanted to accompany her employers on holiday. When she agreed, her employer deducted the cost of the flight ticket from her salary. The helper wrote that the employers did not assure her friend that she did not need to work while overseas, especially because the family brought along both elderly family members and children.

Despite the helper writing that her friend had told her employers that she did not want to accompany them on holiday the previous three times, they had still brought her overseas and made her pay for her own ticket. “Then she asking for advice bcoz she also work when they are there and more tiring also she need to follow and follow”, the helper wrote.

Others who commented on the post also asked if her employers would make her pay for her own flight ticket home once her contract ended.

Maid says her employer makes her buy her own flight ticket to go with them on holiday overseas to take care their kids & elderly