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Malaysians must stop eroding our national reputation PDF Print
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Friday, 26 June 2009 11:04

The recent announcement by our Indonesian neighbors to stop sending their maids is a national disaster in terms of the reputation of Malaysia. And who do we blame for this dent on our armour of national dignity?

By J. D. Lovrenciear

And it is equally stupid and outrageous to counter with statements to the effect that 'If that be the case we will get our supplies from other countries'.
 
Indeed it is a shame that in this age and time we are still trapped in the gully of deciding whether an employee should be granted a mere one day off in a week. Should this not have been well granted and enforced by the government a long time ago?
 
It makes no sense for a nation to want to join the leagues of developed world given its much publicized Wawasan 2020 when we are dragging our conscience even in freely granting a work-free off day to workers.
 
Presently we are courting more disasters that will eventually drag us into the lowest pits of national image and lost-integrity. Forget about the international index on transparency and accountability for a moment.
 
Let us instead look at the abuses that we have been courting for far too long a time.
  • How do continue to treat migrant labor involving the plantation and construction industry?
  • How do we continue to treat the cleaners and restaurant workers that we are bringing in by the hordes from neighboring countries?
  • We are not yet talking about the slavery in the country and the exploits of the sex industry here.
 
And on the home ground too let us admit honestly what we are embroiled with.
  • Look at the law suits and counter suits against personalities especially involving leading politicians.
  • What about scandalous suits that reek with sexual abuse.
  • The political dark clouds that we are fanning with rage across constituencies.
  • What about some of the draconian laws that we still champion so feverishly.
 
It is time to stop and confront in a collaborative spirit the damage that we as Malaysians are guilty of. Never mind whether you are a politician, an employer or a mere consumer of the services available as a result of the cheapened labor in the country.
 
We are all collectively guilty for having a role in devastating the national reputation of this country. Given the extensive negative global publicity that has been raining on our beloved country, it is equally stupid to continue arguing that the reported abuses are isolated cases and that the vast majority of the country folks treat their workers with dignity.
 
It is time we learned to stop treating the media-world and citizens as fools. Unless and until we wake to realize that we are all party to the damaged national reputation and until the time when we have to punish those who faulted irrespective of status and position, we are certain to be doomed into a perilous point of no-return national image.

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written by Ken Liew, June 26, 2009 11:15:35
Malaysians must stop eroding our national reputation? NO! BN and UMNO must stop eroding our national reputation

All they say and do. lets say, they promis more transparena. and more ppl kena ISA. PPL die in lockap, oh it is an accident. Polis station is a dangerious place cos many accident happen. PKFZ scandal cannot question. C4 case cannot say any word. These are order by whom? BN and UMNO are the one who kill the reputation not Malaysian. be can only to be blame as voting the moron to power. Like Those Katak MP, they kill thier reputation by receiving money from corrupted ppl.
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written by educationist, June 26, 2009 11:35:38
The author is talking about social issues and here I agree that all Malaysians must do their part to improve our national reputation.
What the UMNOputras are doing politically, what the security apparatus are doing during their enforcement of illegal immigrants and the corruption involved is beyond our control.
But, yes as a Malaysian, as an individual who's involved with foreign workers whether as an employer, colleague or customer one can do one's part to mend our soiled reputation somewhat!
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written by IbnAbdHalim, June 26, 2009 11:59:35
While the rest of the world is moving forward with bigger strides Malaysians are back tracking to the stone age period and ignorant of the progressive world. Must send those 'employers' to serve in developed countries or rather send them to our neighbour down south as employees - housemaids? So as to make them aware of the world around.
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written by san amin, June 26, 2009 13:34:51
WHAT DOES IT GOT TO DO WITH UMNO?
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written by sydput, June 26, 2009 13:48:35
I know that some maids are forced to do two housework for no extra pay.
Some are forced to clean the house, then follow employer to shop and work there as well for no extra pay.
Some are forced to take care of grandma/granpa/children etc from morning till night, 7 days a week.
Employers/maids should be able to fire/quit respectively and the employers should not be penalise by having to pay more agency fees. There should be a replacement. However the govenrment does not allow this, forcing a stalemate presently.

Why does the govenrment not allow employers the option of maid replacement from agents? because the govenrment don't really care what happens to the people of this country. Same situation when buying a house from developers, electricity bills, two stroke motorcycle pollution (no action) etc.
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written by kevinD, June 26, 2009 13:55:51
The maids should not live with their employers. Instead they should work 6 days a week ( 8 hours a day ) , get 1 day off. Accommodation costs should be covered 50/50 by both parties following certain living standards. Basic medical health care should be covered by the employers or they should provide health insurance for the maid. Agencies bringing them in should be responsible if the maid goes M.I.A. Agencies must replace the maid FREE OFF CHARGE !! Wages should not be less than RM1000/=. Maids are not to be used to run businesses. Job description should be clearly mentioned in the employment contract. The rest i am sure the dumb goverment of ours can figure out!!!!! STOP TREATING THESE PEOPLE LIKE SLAVES!!!!
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written by Fido, June 26, 2009 14:02:11
Malaysians, Pls wake up lah!

We need to step up and take accountability for our actions. The abusers are the employers..
This also you want to blame UMNO - BN?
Agree with the author - we all keep talking about social justice, human rights etc..this is the kind of time we step up to the plate.

"we'll get maids from cambodia/china/philipines" - its statements like this that makes us as bad as any other oppressors.

Are we like the very people we critises now?
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written by InEffective, June 26, 2009 14:04:04

To JDL,

Its pretty tough to get the attention of our malaysian ministers to rescue Malaysia's dignity.

Its hard to imagine that we have a cabinet and immigration dept that fixated on all affairs of the anus to even comprehend the meaning of the word dignity.

Indonesia authorities has done well in caring for the interests of their peoples. Good for them to standup to our dysfunctional immigration officials and politicians and their 'expropriate-the-under-privileged' kickback revenue-generating activities.
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written by rocky, June 26, 2009 14:23:22
Najib and UMNIO should take the lead. They are the ones damaging the reputation by being above the law and not following the constitution. The nation is lead by a party that practices Money Politics, so what else to say? and they claim they are muslims and swear by the Quran. Malu la.
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written by ROBERTNGTG, June 26, 2009 14:30:56
It is time we learned to stop treating the media-world and citizens as fools. Unless and until we wake to realize that we are all party to the damaged national reputation and until the time when we have to punish those who faulted irrespective of status and position, we are certain to be doomed into a perilous point of no-return national image.

HOW ABOUT THE NO OF MURDERS, ROBBERIES, ASSAULTS, RAPE CASES BY THEIR KIND?? COMPARE THE PERCENTAGE AND WE HV NO CHOICE BUT TO START BRINGING IN THE MAIDS FROM VIETNAM, CHINA....
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written by beijing, June 26, 2009 14:54:49
For those who ever visits to Indonesia will find out that majority of Indonesian are lovely people compare to our UMNO Malaysian. Indonesian is more humors than any other UMNO Malaysian. That why they call the elderly Pak or Ibu. And UMNO Malaysian calls Tan Sri or Dato, or Puan Sri or Datin.
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written by Hakim Joe, June 26, 2009 15:05:11
san amin said, "WHAT DOES IT GOT TO DO WITH UMNO?"

It has EVERYTHING to do with UMNO. If UMNO can pass legislations on DNA Bill, ISA and a whole lot of repressive laws, then can certainly implement certain safeguards to protect LEGAL foreign workers as well. It is as simple as that.

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written by Ranulaw, June 26, 2009 15:17:29
Two questions comes to mind regarding Indonesia's maid ban:

1. Why only ban Malaysia?
Indonesian maids are also in other countries like Singapore. Comparatively, how bad are we to the others considering M'sian population is also bigger & therefore employ more?
Indonesia has not come out with such comparative figures to prove M'sian treat their maids badly. I'm sure I've read maid abuse in other countries as well. Moreover reports of abuse have been around for many years, why take action abruptly now without warning? This does not mean we should deny the claim but it does make me suspicious that this act may be somehow linked to the recent Manohara-Kelantan prince incident.

2. Why other countries have not complained about Malaysia?
We surely do not only employ maids from Indonesia but other countries as well. To the best of my knowledge I have not heard of any other country warning Malaysia of mistreating their workers. The closest was probably the Chinese ear squats incident but that we all know is another issue.

On the issue of "national reputation", I think it's foregone what level that is even before this incident. All one needs to do is look at the foreign funds exiting the country compared to others in the region for the past year or so & it's crystal clear.

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written by HamChak, June 27, 2009 00:38:08
JD Lovrenciear, BolehLand is already KNOWN world wide as;
Corrupted Country
Savage Country
Barbaric Country
RACIST Country
Producing HalfPastSix Graduates.
Apartheid Nation.
A Country controlled by MAMAKS, la.
So, the reputation already long gone, for 22 plus years.
So now, NO great lost to Bolehland reputation.

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