Questa è Enida

SMS Bibik all the way from Jakarta yesterday berbunyik begini:
“Bu, saya sudah sampai di pt. Tapi apa benar di potong gaji 4 bulan. Dan gajinya katanya 420 ringgit.”

Oh dear Bibik! She risau already, of which the kerisauan I down-calmed with this reply:
“Tak benar lah Bik. Itu kalau pembantu baru. Saya bayar kamu sama spt di Oman.”

For humanity’s sake, I have no intention to potong her gaji at all. Sending her back to Indramayu from Oman before her 2-year contract was up was our choice. Not hers. We chose and were chosen for this posting to Koala Lampa. And I knew about her financial plan – to save for her daughters’ (Dewi and Ita) school fees – they are bright kids. I couldn’t live with myself if I let my choice screw her plans. So I bekal her with over two-months salary for the wait in between Oman and Malaysia. And a bit extra for her to get a SIM card in Indonesia (I gave Be’s old Nokia phone to her, FOC maa).

Last week I went to Philimore Agency in PJ to kick off the paperwork process even though it might take another month before I can provide all the documents needed. Paid over 2 grands for the deposit (the remaining RM1500 is to be paid upon approval). (Just about a month ago, a friend was telling me, the Indonesian embassy changed the rules. She used to lodge the application personally to these embassies to sponsor a maid. But now, everyone has to go through an agent to do so.)

I didn’t know about this potong gaji deal until just two days ago when they kecoh-kecoh about employers not paying the maids for the first few months. That is despicable! It’s just beyond my comprehension. How can an employer ‘penalize’ her employee for taking up the employment? Like, okay…if you apply for a job, the remuneration is a potong-gaji for the first 4 months. Would YOU say “Great! What an opportunity! Take me! Take me!”

Of course you give your maid food and shelter. But how shallow if you think that’s all they need. If you CAN need a maid just because you think you are ‘entitled’ to one, then give them that 4 months gaji lah. What’s so unfair about that? Cakap kasar nye is, engkau yang sebok nak bermaid, ko tanggung lah dia. Kalau tak mampu, toksah berangan ler ada orang gaji. Eh…ku di dalam emosi ini pulak.