Minglee Alsop-Lim
I need your urgent advice about employing a maid. As a busy mother, I need someone reliable to help out at home.
My maid has worked for me for a long time. Her mother worked for my parents and did an excellent job, so I had faith in her. For several years her performance has been very good, but recently she has become arrogant and insensitive, and is making lots of mistakes.
For example:
1) She flooded my kitchen – when I asked her about it, she told me that the drain pipe was blocked (she was supposed to clear it once a month but didn’t). Then she assured me that it is very rare and won’t happen again in the near future. Guess what? It flooded again within a year!
2) She didn’t close a window and my terrier dog escaped. I was so worried because he is dangerous and could bite lots of people. After the incident, she didn’t apologise and just shrugged her shoulders saying “What to do, it has happened.” Fortunately my neighbor found the dog and we locked it up again.
3) Without consulting me, she has been bringing strangers to work in my house. She says they charge low wages and keep costs down, but they make a lot of noise and rest on my bed. I think they even tried to seduce my husband. It stopped feeling like my home, more like a cheap hotel, and I don’t always want to come back at the end of the day.
4) When she first came to work for me, I instructed her to clean the different parts of the house at least once a week. But for some time she has stopped taking care of the bedrooms of PP and H; they are now dirty and messy. I asked why and she told me that the kids had been disobedient, so she was neglecting their bedrooms as a punishment (even though she is paid to clean all the rooms).
Even though my maid has worked for me for many years and I value what she has done in the past, I think she is now getting complacent. She ignores my comments and basically treats my feedback as “noise”. I wrote to the agency about her behavior; they assured me that they are the best agency around and all their maids are “Trained to Serve” – but it seems like pure rhetoric and I don’t see that in her actions. Her salary is much higher than maids in other countries, but the agency say this is to keep her honest and stop her moving to another employer. They say there is a limited supply of maids, and Singapore isn’t big enough for more than one good maid agency, so I should not trust their competitors.
I have to decide whether to renew my maid’s 5-year employment contract. When we discussed this she said that she is now part of a team, and if I want her I must also accept her friends doing part-time work for me. One friend is very 
inexperienced, can’t do basic tasks or explain what she intends to do. I suspect that she is actually underage. When interviewed, she only seemed interested in her days-off and visiting Universal Studios. When she couldn’t answer my questions, she stomped her feet and exclaimed, “I don’t know what to say!” But I am still expected to pay her a high salary.
Now there happens to be another maid agency that offered me some helpers who seem sincere, genuine and intelligent. They are keen to work, willing to assist me and have a good attitude. I know that they may take a bit of time to learn how everything works, but frankly I am inclined to give them a chance.
People say that the devil you know is better than the one you don’t. But I feel that I can’t tahan my current maid anymore. She seems to have forgotten that ultimately I am the one who pays her high salary. Do you think I should change maids ? Appreciate your advice.
Footnote: The above is a fictional story. When I sent the article out to my friends, all of them advised me to change my maid. Clearly we value having the competition of maid agencies in our personal lives – so why do we not want competition in the political arena? As “employers” of our parliamentarians, we would benefit from the competition of policy ideas. Ultimately, Singaporeans are the winners.
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Cartoon from My Sketchbook.
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Allo, Allo, how come your maid oso like mine? Last time I she burst the budget for my girl girl birthday party leh…by 300% some more. When I question her, so just say you get value for your money what – you want hawker food, restaurant food or what? My girl girl friends say the food is OK, but the maids that brought them complain that they were given dog food. They also told me, my maid hired a limousine to take her to a 6 star hotel for Michelin Star food leh…
I am thinking of changing maid too – her term is up soon so I better decide fast…or I kenna play for another 5 years.
Show the maid who is THE maid.
Don’t ever become your maid’s maid!
Same logic applies to our political maids.
I went shopping around for maid. Every maid agency promise me that their maid can do all things. But sad to say, they marketing super maid can talk cannot work. So don’t us rush to accept by your cheap maid but not practical maid.
It’s so hard for mAid in Singapore to serve their master? My mum give me highly paid maid small marketing allowance but make sure I’ve different for everyone in the house. My Sir eat pork everyday. Eldest Missy make sure I have plenty of vegetable for her. Youngest master loves nuggets, mum make sure I must buy the import famous brand LV for him. Mum want hot soup. So what to do. My fellow tells me don’t worry, you have contract for 5 years. Not enough money to buy all this things, ‘take’ from the mum and the family secret places. But don’t take from the same place. In 5 years time contract end, you can go to USA or Australia like many potential maid did. Never they found out later all money gone and bankrupt you are not there. Who cares.
My sir always complain that Singapore boys doing NS so weak and sissy. The maid so help to carry the burden but accused of spoiling the boy. But when his son doing the NS, the said you all maid to much bully their precious son, scrap the NS, we don’t need strong army boy. Anything happen their fellow American or Australian master will come to their help. Sure heh!
Transport so expensive COE or ERP, but complain everyone fighting to get COE so they can’t buy the third car for their pampered daugther.
Their youngest son must get in the best school. MKe me queue over night to ‘chop’ a place. Can’t get in, scold me, the principal and teachee stupid why can’t have more pupils per class. But now say the class size is too big. Education system no good too stressful, but arrange 2 tuitions pr subject for even fheir kindergarten son. Then complain education in Singapore so expensive.
Medical cost so high, you can die but cannot fall sick. Look every master is so kiasu and greedy. Want the best but don’t want to pay. If they have seek treatment in polyclinics rather than hospital, no class. Polyclinic doctors no good and class. But look when I’m sick the polyclinics that my mum sent me to was more than good to cure and treat my illness. Maid say mum don’t be choosy but she said no no polyclinics is cheap cannot go. Then complain medical cost too high you can die but cannot fall sick.
Life as maid is so stressful, but master always said we are very well paid, cannot complain lah. You have to serve and please them if not change them in 5 years time. Singapore is unique.
A tale of two maid agencies is so ugly and distastefully written.
Charles Dickens would be very proud of this article writer.
It is indeed the best of times and the worst of times – for the people and the PAP respectively.
Majulah Singapura!
WE CAN MAKE A DIFFERENCE!
There are others out there like us who can and want to make a change, but may be fearful.
Just the other day, I spoke to a taxi driver who commented that many of the older generation and those in the civil service still vote with fear in their hearts. They fear repercussions for themselves or their families if they are identified, either now or in the future.
But we should take heart and know that collectively, there are many like us who can and must banish fear and vote with our conscience.
I urge all Singaporeans who are regularly reading TemasekReview, TheOnlineCitizen or Yahoo! SG – we need to do more than just read and agree.
We go online to hear the full story, as we have seen time and again how alternative views are censored by the official print media in Singapore.
However there are many other fellow citizens young or old, who don’t have the opportunity or bother to read these views and make their own informed voting decisions.
We can make a difference for the good of all Singaporeans by enlightening them on these alternative voices of hope.
Let’s do our part to share with our friends and family today.
If each one of us readers would just reach out to 2 (two) people, and ask these 2 people to share with 2 other people, we will soon be able to start a groundswell of support for the best candidates and parties. Take the time to do this, especially on the “cooling off” day of 6th May, when we will be bombarded with one-sides news from the offline press.
It doesn’t have to be complicated.
If your friends are internet savvy, simply direct them to visit TR, TOC or Yahoo! SG and read for themselves.
If your friends are of an older generation, let them view the articles and videos on your smartphone like an iPhone.
Here are some suggested articles and videos to start with:
SDP’s 2011 Election Message (In Hokkien)
http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=TVcXYYcWjtI
TheOnlineCitizen’s GE Portal (much more impartial than ge.sg)
http://ge2011.theonlinecitizen.com
A Tale of Two Maid Agencies (or why a healthy opposition can benefit us)
http://theonlinecitizen.com/2011/04/a-tale-of-two-maid-agencies-writer-needs-your-advice/
If your friends do not have access to any digital media, consider printing out some articles or emailing them so as to share these alternative views.
Together, we can make a difference in ensuring free and fair elections in Singapore, to bring the most capable candidates to serve us into parliament. We only have a few days left!