My Take | Hong Kong will be a more family-friendly city ... thanks to Widodo
Indonesian leader’s policy of ending the export of domestic helpers means it’s now up to our government to come up with measures that help families help themselves
Indonesia has announced it will start phasing out the hiring of domestic helpers to work in foreign countries from next year. This is a humane and economically wise policy, though many obstacles stand in its way.
It will also be good for those places affected, including Hong Kong. It will, for example, help Hongkongers to wean themselves off their maid addiction. Our government in turn will have to introduce more realistic maternity and paternity leave and provide better-subsidised childcare and kindergarten education. Companies will have to offer more progressive policies such as flexible work hours, better paid leave and other family-friendly measures to help and retain valuable workers.
The policy under President Joko Widodo is not new, though it was confined mainly to the Middle East last year following reports of ill treatment of some helpers and the execution of two Indonesian maids. Now it looks set to extend to almost 30 countries that import the most numbers of domestic helpers.
Existing overseas Indonesian workers will not be affected. Those who wish to work overseas as domestic helpers after 2017 may do so provided they train and are certified for more specialised services such as elderly care and childcare.