<![CDATA[Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed]]>Website for employers 'violates' privacy of maids


Posts of workers' alleged misdeeds breach their rights by giving personal details, says help group

A WEBSITE where employers can post the alleged misdeeds of their maids has drawn flak from a migrant worker rights' group, which says their privacy is being invaded.

Last week, Mr Jolovan Wham, executive director of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), claimed that the site violated 'the rights and privacy' of maids by revealing details such as their names, and work permit and passport numbers.

This information appears along with lengthy posts of the maids' alleged misdeeds, under a section called 'Maid Reviews', on the site http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com

Describing it as a 'gross violation' in a Facebook post, Mr Wham called for the site to be removed.

Responding to queries from The Straits Times about the site, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) yesterday said it does not encourage employers to publish comments about their maids on their Facebook pages or blogs.

Instead, it urges both employers and maids to approach the ministry for help when conflicts arise.

A spokesman added that there are also 'civil routes for redress for the aggrieved party if the comments are defamatory, or in breach of a duty of confidence'.

The site was created by a 'full-time working mother in Singapore' who calls herself 'Tamarind'. It has six sections, including one that lists maid-related news articles. It is not clear when the blog went live.

'Tamarind' also writes regularly on subjects like how to select and manage maids. These pieces often attract comments - mostly agreeing with her - from as many as 30 readers.

She did not respond to efforts to contact her yesterday.

But in a report by The New Paper last year, she said she has not been sued nor received legal complaints from maids. She added that by warning others of her bad experiences, she was being 'ethical'.

Mr Wham, however, said the allegations listed by the employers were not verified.

He added that he had told a volunteer about the site and that her husband had written to MOM about it last month.

Home is monitoring the blog and is consulting its lawyers to explore possible courses of action, he said, but declined to give details.

Lawyer Chia Boon Teck said a maid can engage a lawyer to take legal action against her employer if she is wrongly accused of misdeeds, but recourse will not be easy.

'The maid may not be able to afford a lawyer, and it may not be easy for her to quantify her loss,' he said.

He added that there is 'no general legal duty to protect the personal particulars of another person'.

The maid may have legal recourse against a blogger for revealing her particulars only if they have a contractual relationship that contains a provision obliging the blogger to keep the maid's particulars confidential, he said. Such a provision, he added, is highly unlikely.

Lecturer Sandra Ng, 37, who uses the blog as a reference, thinks it is fair and does not contain offensive content.

Madam Ng, who has a maid, said it is common for blogs to contain photos. She added: 'It is essentially a site to help potential employers.'

MP Christopher de Souza, deputy chairman of the Government Parliamentary Committee for Manpower, said maids are not in an equal bargaining position when employers make negative comments about them online.

'If what is written about the maids is untrue, then it is extremely unfair as they will have no avenues to clarify their positions,' said Mr de Souza, who was alerted to the blog by a member of the public.

Mr Gary Chin, managing director of Nation Employment, also felt maids were at a disadvantage as they could not reply to the comments.

He said most employers still turn to agencies when they have problems with their maids.

Ms Nelly Baggay, 30, a Filipino maid who came here to work in 2007, said: 'If employers are not happy, they can tell us. If they write bad things about us in blogs, then it will be very hard for us to transfer to other employers.'

wenjian@sph.com.sg


BACKGROUND STORY
UNHAPPY? TELL US ABOUT IT


'If employers are not happy, they can tell us. If they write bad things about us in blogs, then it will be very hard for us to transfer to other employers.'

Ms Nelly Baggay, 30, a Filipino maid who came here to work in 2007


BACKGROUND STORY


Watching your maid's diet

On how much food a maid should have, Tamarind wrote in a post:

'I think as employers, we have to decide how much food is enough. We cannot be supplying unlimited food to our maid. Personally, this is what I would let my maid eat for lunch or dinner:


1. Up to two bowls of white rice
2. Up to two pieces of chicken/fish that is palm size
3. An egg
4. As much vegetables as she can eat
5. An apple, orange or banana
For breakfast, I will let her eat up to four pieces of bread and Milo or coffee. If my maid can eat all the above, I don't even bother giving her any snacks. I believe that she already has more than enough nutrition.


Just make sure that you give her enough food during meals, especially meat, then you have already done your best as an employer. Take a video of what you are serving her. There is no need to worry.'

Note : - Full text taken from http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com

:yikes:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/topic/28816/call-for-http-singaporemaid-blogspot-com-to-be-removedRSS for NodeSun, 26 Apr 2026 22:26:07 GMTTue, 29 Nov 2011 02:32:10 GMT60<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:22:03 GMT]]>Just a personal thought:


As different families has different requirement and different people have different standards of work, it is hard to say whether a maid is good or bad. The maid may be a good maid in one family but can be a good maid in another family.

Recently, I sent one https://www.babyment.com/maid/myanmar_maid.php back to agency. When the maid agency personnel asks me why: i told her that because the maid is not able to take care of children. The maid actually demonstrate a good standard in work such as hygiene. Maybe because of young and single, she cannot really mingle with children.


I went to employer orientation program a few years back. The instructor asked us about our expectation of maid, the long list is something like this: cheerful, energetic, polite, high standard of work..........

Think about it, what do you expect from a person who you may about $1000 (salary plus other expenditure), whether they are https://www.babyment.com/maid/filipino_maid.php or https://www.babyment.com/maid/indonesian_maid.php.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1800576https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1800576Mon, 11 Sep 2017 09:22:03 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Sun, 16 Feb 2014 03:08:46 GMT]]>Seems they have taken it down… tamarind go create a new one

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1215546https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1215546Sun, 16 Feb 2014 03:08:46 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Fri, 14 Feb 2014 14:51:41 GMT]]>Does anyone knows where is this blog now?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1214818https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/1214818Fri, 14 Feb 2014 14:51:41 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:18:05 GMT]]>i don’t see what is wrong with this blog… quite useful mah.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/742067https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/742067Fri, 06 Apr 2012 07:18:05 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:38:26 GMT]]>

christinakohyc:
My colleagues who is a Chinese Indonesia said the Indonesia malay normally who take the photo of u will cast a spell on u. Either made u listen to them , it can be a lot of things or do evil things... So beware of Indonesia maid who took your photos without permission..


No need photo. Just saying your full name out will also work according to the indonesian. This is very common in Java.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/741991https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/741991Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:38:26 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:33:28 GMT]]>Agree that Tamarind’s blog is good place to go as a starter as it does contain some background information and history.


Unfortunately, the discussions in the blog is not very beneficial as she is also the mod and does delete posts that are not in line with her own postings.

She has a right to do it but then the opinions are not as rich as it can be.

The direction of her replies seems to be confusing too.

Nevertheless if you want to get some basic information on hiring a maid, that is a good place to go for a start.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/741989https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/741989Fri, 06 Apr 2012 03:33:28 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:18:30 GMT]]>Tamarind’s blog is really useful for employers as it is filled with useful information for employers.


The new ruling on the compulsory day off in 2013 is going to create a lot of problems for employers.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/739010https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/739010Sun, 01 Apr 2012 11:18:30 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:53:02 GMT]]>My colleagues who is a Chinese Indonesia said the Indonesia malay normally who take the photo of u will cast a spell on u. Either made u listen to them , it can be a lot of things or do evil things… So beware of Indonesia maid who took your photos without permission…

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/684631https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/684631Sat, 07 Jan 2012 14:53:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:22:59 GMT]]>** deleted

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/681334https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/681334Thu, 05 Jan 2012 00:22:59 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:54:02 GMT]]>

christinakohyc:
I do not agree for it to be remove cos some of the articles might be true. In fact, I find the blog is very useful to let employers to know the bad maid around. Agents are not also reliable as they wants to earn profits from tranferring the maids too. I have 3 maids in total and the 2 maids who help to take care of my kids since they are babies are very good. They are good in taking care of children, doing housework and cooking. However, I failed to retain them because all wanted to go to hk to work. They are single. The reasons is because the salary are paid more than Singapore, they said it every maid dream to work at least in hk. This is understandable as the hongkongkers did not pay maid levy thus they can afford to pay more salary while we singaporeans need to pay a maid levy range from 170 to 200++ a month and accountable if the maid run away.


The 3rd maid I engaged is married with a kid. This is my 1st experience with married maid.. She came to my house and for 1st three days refuse to eat. We as employer so scared that she will faint and end up in hospital, later police thought we ill-treat her. Then, we call the agent up and he said let her be... We even tell her to cook her own meal. She came with few clothes and small sizes shoes, in the end, we bought new pair of shoes and clothes for her. As employers we take it a point to bring our maid out once a week which we think it good for her well being. My kids doesn't want her to carry nor feed so that means when she is out with us, she is freehand... What more does she wants.. Every outing, she gave her blackfaced, and said she cannot go out cos see too many people has headache and will feel sick. In the end, we give her a choice not to follow us. Finally, her truth color show, she went out without our knowledge and was caught .. Its just concidience that i brought my kids out and told her will not be back for dinner. However, we forgot to bring some documents and head home. To our horror, the house was empty and i waited her for more than 2 hours then she is back. We told her she is not suppose to go out without our knowledge, she even said she has rights to go out and want to go home immediately. Then she started to sit around and refuse to work. We call the agent and he talk to her. She started doing a bit but ignore handling the kids. My hubby and I need to work so contemplating whether to send her off immediately. Then, she pack her bag and run away.. Luckily, I am a light sleeper and manage to heard the door slammed in morning at 5am. Then, check and discover she run away, immediately wake my hubby to drive around and look for her. She was caught nearby a shopping mall and was being dragged to car by me. We searched her bag and body, discover she took our family photos. She even look at us fierecly and ask us to strip her if we dared, In the end, we ask the agent to pick her up. After she left, my girl said her back shoulder was pain. To our horror, we discover there is a blueblack thumbprint on her shoulder and she said the maid did on her when she slept. Now, I even have to pay 21 days of her dailymeals to wait for her transfer. I spoke to mom and agents about the choices I have. Both said the same, if I report to police or repatriate her the remaining loan that I paid for her will has to foregone and still must paid her air tickets. The mom officer said I should report to police for the benefits of others. But, who is helping me as employer.. We suffer in terms of money pain as well as spiritual well being. Till now, my girl said she rather not to have maid unless is the 2nd maid who left for hk.

We paid maid levy and who is helping us... Not mom nor government.. I even ask mom officer that if the agent manage to transfer the maid within 21 days and should they refund us the money. The mom officers said yes and if I need help ask me to call AEAS for assistance. In the end, I call AEAS and they said if I need assistance I have to pay $50 for administrative charges...

There is so many loopholes in the mom regulations and the rules are all benefit to maid and agent but not we as employer who paid maid levy. What is mom doing to help us?

All employers pls take note that if u have bought insurance for your maid, and u intend to transfer the maid. Thus insurance that u have bought will be cancelled upon your work permit of your maid being discharged. U might be able to get the refund of the insurance. Pls read the clause properly. Cos some agent are dishonest, they do get a refund from insurance co but in the end, they pocket the refund and
never return to u. Even, if it's many years back, do check and call directly the
insurance co for assistance as they do keep records.
:shock: by your experience and :hugs: to you.

I wonder why did your maid steal your family photo for? :?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/680772https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/680772Wed, 04 Jan 2012 09:54:02 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:41:51 GMT]]>I do not agree for it to be remove cos some of the articles might be true. In fact, I find the blog is very useful to let employers to know the bad maid around. Agents are not also reliable as they wants to earn profits from tranferring the maids too. I have 3 maids in total and the 2 maids who help to take care of my kids since they are babies are very good. They are good in taking care of children, doing housework and cooking. However, I failed to retain them because all wanted to go to hk to work. They are single. The reasons is because the salary are paid more than Singapore, they said it every maid dream to work at least in hk. This is understandable as the hongkongkers did not pay maid levy thus they can afford to pay more salary while we singaporeans need to pay a maid levy range from 170 to 200++ a month and accountable if the maid run away.


The 3rd maid I engaged is married with a kid. This is my 1st experience with married maid… She came to my house and for 1st three days refuse to eat. We as employer so scared that she will faint and end up in hospital, later police thought we ill-treat her. Then, we call the agent up and he said let her be… We even tell her to cook her own meal. She came with few clothes and small sizes shoes, in the end, we bought new pair of shoes and clothes for her. As employers we take it a point to bring our maid out once a week which we think it good for her well being. My kids doesn’t want her to carry nor feed so that means when she is out with us, she is freehand… What more does she wants… Every outing, she gave her blackfaced, and said she cannot go out cos see too many people has headache and will feel sick. In the end, we give her a choice not to follow us. Finally, her truth color show, she went out without our knowledge and was caught … Its just concidience that i brought my kids out and told her will not be back for dinner. However, we forgot to bring some documents and head home. To our horror, the house was empty and i waited her for more than 2 hours then she is back. We told her she is not suppose to go out without our knowledge, she even said she has rights to go out and want to go home immediately. Then she started to sit around and refuse to work. We call the agent and he talk to her. She started doing a bit but ignore handling the kids. My hubby and I need to work so contemplating whether to send her off immediately. Then, she pack her bag and run away… Luckily, I am a light sleeper and manage to heard the door slammed in morning at 5am. Then, check and discover she run away, immediately wake my hubby to drive around and look for her. She was caught nearby a shopping mall and was being dragged to car by me. We searched her bag and body, discover she took our family photos. She even look at us fierecly and ask us to strip her if we dared, In the end, we ask the agent to pick her up. After she left, my girl said her back shoulder was pain. To our horror, we discover there is a blueblack thumbprint on her shoulder and she said the maid did on her when she slept. Now, I even have to pay 21 days of her dailymeals to wait for her transfer. I spoke to mom and agents about the choices I have. Both said the same, if I report to police or repatriate her the remaining loan that I paid for her will has to foregone and still must paid her air tickets. The mom officer said I should report to police for the benefits of others. But, who is helping me as employer… We suffer in terms of money pain as well as spiritual well being. Till now, my girl said she rather not to have maid unless is the 2nd maid who left for hk.

We paid maid levy and who is helping us… Not mom nor government… I even ask mom officer that if the agent manage to transfer the maid within 21 days and should they refund us the money. The mom officers said yes and if I need help ask me to call AEAS for assistance. In the end, I call AEAS and they said if I need assistance I have to pay $50 for administrative charges…

There is so many loopholes in the mom regulations and the rules are all benefit to maid and agent but not we as employer who paid maid levy. What is mom doing to help us?

All employers pls take note that if u have bought insurance for your maid, and u intend to transfer the maid. Thus insurance that u have bought will be cancelled upon your work permit of your maid being discharged. U might be able to get the refund of the insurance. Pls read the clause properly. Cos some agent are dishonest, they do get a refund from insurance co but in the end, they pocket the refund and
never return to u. Even, if it’s many years back, do check and call directly the
insurance co for assistance as they do keep records.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/678501https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/678501Mon, 02 Jan 2012 08:41:51 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:40:21 GMT]]>Mod's Note


Dear all

Those off-topic discussions on who is a mummy and who is a daddy, have been moved here :

http://www.kiasuparents.com/kiasu/forum/viewtopic.php?f=1&t=28925

Please continue your discussion on that topic there. 🙂

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651887https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651887Wed, 30 Nov 2011 16:40:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:20:52 GMT]]>

peapot:
How can't you guys know it's a he?? And not a she??

He put \"male\" in his profile. But who knows, he/she could be lying :skeptical:

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651734https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651734Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:20:52 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:16:24 GMT]]>How can’t you guys know it’s a he?? And not a she??

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651726https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651726Wed, 30 Nov 2011 14:16:24 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:53:40 GMT]]>

minnie2004:
LOLMum:

😉


morning and afternoon - too long, very lazy to type it out.

CMs very quick with their fingers leh, so many posts deleted. :sad: all the spice gone from thread.......

Really? A lot of posts deleted? Haven't checked since this morning. Wonder what were the responses regarding the guy who's fond of vulgar language. Did he get :spank:?

I think he got a warning from our class monitor. My earlier post is gone too. So is LOLMum's, peapot's and perhaps yours too. 😄

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651706https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651706Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:53:40 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:39:55 GMT]]>

LOLMum:
😉


morning and afternoon - too long, very lazy to type it out.

CMs very quick with their fingers leh, so many posts deleted. :sad: all the spice gone from thread.......
Really? A lot of posts deleted? Haven't checked since this morning. Wonder what were the responses regarding the guy who's fond of vulgar language. Did he get :spank:?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651699https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651699Wed, 30 Nov 2011 13:39:55 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:51:32 GMT]]>Augmom, I meant alert in general.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651668https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651668Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:51:32 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:09:08 GMT]]>

peapot:
Augmom, u didn't miss out much. Just be alittle more alert.

thks peapot.......but alert of what ?? :?

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651642https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651642Wed, 30 Nov 2011 12:09:08 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:58:10 GMT]]>

peapot:
Tigger, u pop already?? Hope yr maid is back.

Peapot, my maid was back for quite some time. Me still waiting to pop. 8 days to edd.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651557https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651557Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:58:10 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:55:49 GMT]]>:thankyou: , ksi. 😄

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651553https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651553Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:55:49 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:54:37 GMT]]>Tigger, u pop already?? Hope yr maid is back.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651552https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651552Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:54:37 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:52:21 GMT]]>Augmom, u didn’t miss out much. Just be alittle more alert.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651547https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651547Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:52:21 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:42:14 GMT]]>

tigger88:
LOLMum:

😉


morning and afternoon - too long, very lazy to type it out.

CMs very quick with their fingers leh, so many posts deleted. :sad: all the spice gone from thread.......

Actually not much spice lah so u din miss much.

Oh......what have i missed ??
Often, before i know what is happening, postings are gone..... 😉 😂

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651535https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651535Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:42:14 GMT<![CDATA[Reply to Call for http://singaporemaid.blogspot.com to be removed on Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:37:29 GMT]]>

LOLMum:
😉


morning and afternoon - too long, very lazy to type it out.

CMs very quick with their fingers leh, so many posts deleted. :sad: all the spice gone from thread.......
Actually not much spice lah so u din miss much.

]]>https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651529https://forum.kiasuparents.com/post/651529Wed, 30 Nov 2011 10:37:29 GMT