18.716 Maids Fleeing

A total of 18.716 foreign maids reportedly fled from their employers last year.

Deputy Human Resources Minister Datuk Maznah Mazlan said the total of 17.205 persons or 92.3 per cent were from Indonesia.

''Number of foreign maids in Malaysia as of December stood at 247.069 persons and 76.7 per cent were from Indonesia, "he told the Dewan Rakyat today.

He answered questions Lim Lip Eng (DAP-Segambut), which urged the government to state the measures to overcome the problem of Indonesian maids who often run away from the employer.

According to Maznah, the government has taken several actions to address the issue including the signing of the Protocol on Amendment of the Memorandum of Understanding between Malaysia and Indonesia on the issue of employment of foreign maids Indonesia in Bandung on 30 May.

He said, protocols that can provide adequate protection to employers in Malaysia to hire maids Indonesia and at the same time ensuring the welfare of maids reserved.

He said based on the protocol, an employer is entitled to the replacement maid employed if the maid ran away in the first six months of employment.

In addition, he said, biometric systems are implemented Ministry began June 1 and will also allow the maid who ran away from their employers if they are detected apply to work with another employer.

''In fact, the Labour Department also organized a seminar and dialogue on foreign maids every month throughout the country in an effort to address such problems.

''Since March 2010, a total of 89 seminars and dialogues held and attended by 1.869 and 1,650 employers of foreign domestic workers and 365 agency jobs, "he said.

Ringgit continues to depreciate against the dollar

Ringgit value should be maintained

The ringgit continued to depreciate against the trend of United States dollars (U.S.) for the third consecutive day today in between the strong demand for the dollar, the selling pressure pushed the local unit, dealers said.

At 5 pm, the local unit traded lower against the U.S. dollar at 3.0200/0230 from 3.0160/0190 yesterday.

Asia stock markets fall in the region and production data for Malaysia, which was released today, also contributed to the decline in dollars.

According to the Department of Statistics, industrial production index in April fell 2.2 percent over the same period last year and fell 7.6 percent compared to March this year.

Throughout the day, the local unit traded at 3.0110 to 3.0200 against the dollar.

The ringgit was mixed against other major currencies, rose against the yen to 3.7736/7797 from 3.7747/7808 and rose against the euro to 4.4174/4220 from 4.4199/4253 previously.

However, it depreciated against the Singapore dollar to 2.4527/4571 from 2.4483/4527 yesterday and fell against the British pound to 4.9658/9716 from 4.9360/9421. - BERNAMA

Table football 'Disorders'

Need Action Now Smart

AS usual, every season of local football teams will hear complaints about the density of the schedule they had to go through. When examined again turns the Football Association of Malaysia (FAM) are not smart in arranging the match schedule, it is surprising that the players have to face up to nine games each month in April and May.

A total of 18 games in two months is an unnecessary, discordant voices were heard and then ask for reduced force in Super League. FAM relatively shallow thinking that if the proposal is accepted. This is because Super League is currently only comprise 14 teams only.

Malaysia Cup should also be run as the league takes place and format as the World Cup or EURO for the group stage, only the quarter-final round and the semi-finals are carried out reciprocally, this indirectly reduces from 11 games to just eight games.