I have not logged any entries for more than a month partly due to recent busy work related traveling and household chores.
That compounded with our domestic helper's planned departure after working for the past 4 years. We had trial period on 3 temporary maids and none successful until the latest (been with us for 3 days already) that seem promising.
These days the Maids Agency has been more creative and offering potential customer with "trial-out period" after placing deposit with them. Most of these Indonesian or Cambodian maids have entered the country on visitor visa but are being deployed by the agency to work (illegally of course) with their potential employer on trial basis. If customer is satisfied after certain number of days, they then proceed to apply for valid permits. Each day of this test period will cost the employer RM 25 until they get the relevant papers and officially stamped on passport that you are the rightful employer for the maid.
Our priority has always been the kids, the younger ones especially. The first was ex-Singapore, at first she was full of enthusiasm and bubbly about working for us but later realized that the job doesn't pay for her laziness let alone the mandatory good food and afternoon naps. She has definitely not experience with kids having served an elderly women in Singapore until she passed away when the employer terminated her contract. So, out she goes and came another one. This one is slightly older (around 32) but after 2 days of tagging around my existing maid, immediately admitted that she cannot handle children especially my eldest son plus obviously too much house work. My goodness, they are here for holiday or what?
The third candidate was nearly successful. Apparently she is a graduate (YES, we saw all the certified true copies of her degree and thesis) majoring in Islamic studies. Her father is nearly a judge (a very senior Indonesian government officer) with a Surgeon and Dentist in her family. Nothing to look at herself but very polite compared with my existing maid and relatively hardworking. BTW, she has her own maid at home in Indonesia. Can't believe she is out here earning a living!
According to her, she was teaching back home and the money is very little and she was desperate to earn more money hence Malaysia. After some background check, we learned that she was in the midst of a divorce (husband is also a graduate with own business and the 2 children are in late teens) and she was very depressed. Her condition must be quite bad that her sister (a practicing Dentist) has to bring her to a psychiatrist. We called her sister immediately and confirmed her condition. The sister claimed that she should be fine but we would rather not take the risk having young children on her hand. Cannot imagine what will happen if she snap one fine day. Moreover, she needs to pray more than 5 times a day (with the praying gear etc.) and waking up in middle of night because she cannot sleep. Also, found in her possession a packet of Postinor2 (commonly known as the morning after pills) which shows that she came prepared in case she got rape trying to runaway with help from the contruction workers etc. I am just guessing.
Number 4 maid is also ex-Singapore (1 year) and worked in Kuching for 2 years. So far so good and we are keeping fingers crossed. Hope things go well with her...getting fed up with all these hassle.
