Singapore denies maid sale

Singapores Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has denied media reports that domestic workers from the Philippines, Indonesia and Burma (Myanmar) were being displayed in malls in the city-state and made available for hire at cheap or discounted prices.

AFP FILE PHOTO

The Al Jazeera TV network reported last month that foreign domestic workers were being marketed like commodities at the Bukit Timah Shopping Centre in central Singapore and at Katong Shopping Centre on Mountbatten Road.

But MOM said it visited the two shopping centers concerned and did not find any inappropriate display of foreign domestic workers.

Basic respect in practices

MOM requires employment agencies to be responsible and accord basic respect in their practices to both their clientsthe employer and the foreign domestic workersand expects them to exercise sensitivity when marketing their fees or services, MOM said in a statement released Wednesday.

The ministry also deemed an unacceptable practice the alleged inappropriate display of foreign domestic workers in the premises of employment agencies.

The Al Jazeera report said foreign domestic workers were shown in galleries called Homekeeper and Budget Maid demonstrating household and care-giving chores, such as pushing the wheelchairs of the elderly and changing diapers of a baby doll.

Super promo rates

The report also said the workers were advertised on super promo rates and special discounts, with Filipinos tagged as smarter, Indonesians as less bright and Burmese workers as sweet-natured and compliant.

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Singapore denies maid sale