In Singapore we are lucky that going to work generally means us having to take some form of transport and making at most a one hour journey to the place of employment. For many others, esp in our neighbouring countries, this is not so... work may mean leaving behind your family, loved ones, children to travel far beyond just to earn a measly paycheck, live in a world that is worlds apart culturally from your own and possibly even be taken advantaged off, at worst be abused.
How many of us really stopped to think abt the plight of our fellow human friends who come from afar to work in Singapore, some under the same roof as us to earn a living... Its easy to complain abt them, the difficulties we face in managing them that sometimes we forget what they had to endure to be here... sometimes they too forget what made them come here in the first place causing them to behave in ways that may be incomprehensible to most of us.
My maid shared of how they are treated in the training centres before coming here to work.. they are made to eat cabbage soup with rice daily, scolded in front of others leaving very little dignity and basically not given much rights.. she shared of how their money is taken away from them... her husband tried to get it back but to no avail.. she shared of how the money I had given my ex-maid had already been taken away by the agency, possibly not to be returned... my heart ached at that... it was money that others gave her for Hari Raya and my hard earned money meant for her children... not for the agency! They are not allowed to practise their religion at the centres, prevented from praying ... why?
There had been other stories of other training centres treating maids brutally... how much is the MOM doing to curb such abuse and to ensure that the ladies who come here are protected? How much are these centres regulated to ensure that these women's rights are upheld? I have just heard of a case of some women who were brought in to work here only to be forced into prostitution...
At what price... to work here? They came for hope of a better life for their families... to be able to send back cash to fund education, medical needs or even simply a proper roof over their heads... at what price?
To think that these injustices may be perpetuated further in the homes they work in... some are lucky to get good employers who treats them well... others.... well...
Why take on a maid who is different from you religiously if you cannot accept the religious practices of that person? Why would you want to stop the maids from going to church, pray 5 times a day or fast? Shouldn't you appreciate it that they have a belief and faith in a higher being... to me it marks the character of a person, that they have beholden themselves to a higher being and therefore more cautious of committing sins... I am more cautious of people who have no faith in God.
Why would you want maids to be deprived of food? Isn't that a contradiction to the expectations you have of the maid in the first place... ie to work... and yet you deprive the maid of the things that enable them to do proper work? Is that income of $350 so much that you have to skimp on the food they eat?
To emotionally, psychologically and physically abuse them... why? Does that make you feel that you are a better person? I know that sometimes its hard to curb your anger especially when the maid behaves in ways that truly boils your blood... hey I've been there...and I know thats the reason why I had to also let my old maid go before she truly pushes me over the edge..
At what price... to work here? to earn a simple living ...
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