Wednesday, July 05, 2006

She's done it again!

huh? Who's done it again?

My former maid, that's who. Yup, even without her anymore in our company, she has managed to create havoc and turn everyone's life topsy turvy!

Yesterday evening, my MIL and SIL's maid ran away together, leaving the kids ranging from 3 yrs old to 11 yrs old to fend for themselves. My in-laws had gone out on a movie date earlier, and had told her maid to prepare dinner (I was spending the nite there), but said that she and her husband won't be back till after dinner.

I guess they seize the opportunity to act their plans out as soon as my in-laws left for the cinema because according to my son, the maids were still around at 4.30pm. My in-laws left at 4.00 pm. Tea was laid out on the table.

It was only realised that the maids were missing when my 3 yr old niece woke up from her afternoon nap and started crying out for the maid. My 6 yr old son, upon realising that the maids were missing, went upstairs to inform Pak Chu (the uncle) on what had happened.

My 11 year old niece was upstairs on the computer while my brother-in-law was getting ready to go out. His (my BIL) maid (she helps him with his nasi lemak bizness) was downstairs crying her hearts out upon realising that the other 2 maids had left..errrr..ran away while she was in the shower.

Next, my son called up my hubby (in Kuching) on the phone to tell him that 'kak Siti dan kak Maria dah takde. Baju semua takde' (The maids are gone, and so are their clothes).

I am so proud of my son. Despite being only 6 years old and there being two other older cousins around (my 11 yr old niece and 10 yr old nephew) and a 35 year old maid who just burst into tears upon finding out, when they did nothing, he took charge by informing my BIL and calling up his abah to report on what has happened.

Later when I arrived at my in-laws house that evening, I managed to chat up with my BIL's maid. I asked her if she knew anything of what had happened prior to that day. According to her, my SIL's maid had received a letter from my former maid (they are related) about a month or so ago. It seems that my former maid had outlined a plan for them to run away. She had told them that she has jobs for them, and that it wud be no problem at all to get them new passports and identification papers. She will be waiting for them as soon as they execute their escape plan. Why didn't my BIL's maid tell us? She was scared. She also said that she came to Malaysia to work, and is not looking for trouble. If only the other maids think the same way. *sigh*

My SIL's maid has been bringing her clothes to my MIL's house little by little each day in preparation for an opportunity to ran away. They have been waiting for the right time and day. Can you imagine what lies they have been living in, and how much we have trust in them? How could they live with themselves, espeicially when a 3 yr old child is involved? Have they no campassion?

My MIL hardly leaves the house with just the kids and the maids. But, I suppose, after more than 9 months of working with us, WE tend to TRUST them, but, sad to say, they do not reciprocate. People like these, you can never trust them, no matter how long they have been with us. It is sad........

My MIL is a very nice women, never has she ever risen her voice to the maids. She treats them well, I can be certain of that. I don't think my MIL overworks the maids. There isn't much to do in the house, and anyway, with my SIL and BIL's maid also there, all household chores are spread out. In fact, my SIL's maid spends most of her time in front of the TV while she takes care of my 3 yr old niece.

They have ran away. Are we to blame? On Sunday, the Immigration Department Foreign Workers Division director Alwi Bavutty said that employers would be blacklisted and could only hire new maids if their appeals were allowed. He said that, "There must be something wrong with the employer for his maids to run away or if he has to change them so many times," he said.

Has Alwi ever had a maid? Has he had no problems with them? Maybe, by virtue of him being the Immigration Dept's Foreign Wokers Division Director, he can get the best maid from any country that wishes to send their people here to work.

How could he think of blacklisting my MIL when all she did was to treat the maids well. Is the action (to blackmail) justified? I think Alwi should not make a blanket statement (to balcklist), but should look at it case by case.

I treat my maids well, yet the last one gave me so much problems. She was trouble from day one. Remember that she lied about she being here to work in a restaurant? She also lied about praying. She lied too about doing a certain chore, but never actually doing it. She is forever acting. If ever there is a BEST ACTRESS award for foreign maids, I'd nominate my former maid, but, then again, why would she deserve any awards? I was constantly under stress throughout the 6 months she was with me.

She is still giving us problems till today despite us terminating her contract with us 3 months ago, and despite her not even being in our presence. Am I to blame for her behavior? If Alwi so much as want to penalize us for something we have no control over, than give us the right to lock up our maids in the house just to ensure that they do not run away, but, of course that would be so inhumane. But, is penalizing for something you have no control over a very humane and considerate thing to do? *sigh*

I hope that one day Alwi will get a taste of the same medicine that he prescribed to others, only then he will feel for us and understand what we have to go through with problematic maids sent to us by irresponsble agents.

If Alwi can gurantee us that we will always get 1st class maids, but it is us that cannot work with these 1st class maids, only then can he apply the penalization on us. But 1st, get us the 1st class maids.

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