After giving her the final ultimatum, looks like my Cambodian maid still did not get my message. As I am not feeling too well, I woke up late today, at around 8am. When I came downstairs, I saw my maid singing away in the wet kitchen. Everything’s not done yet – the wok after cooking yesterday’s dinner was still soaked in water, the crockpot used to boil soup yesterday was also soaked in water, soup that I had instructed her to boil was not boiled yet, she did not even defrost the meat or prepare anything that I had asked her to do. Clothes were also not put into the washing machine yet. I was really boiling when I saw this. I thought to myself that this lady is really incorrigible and I am just wasting my time and stressing myself up everyday.
She was dilly dallying in the wet kitchen and would only move her butt when I told her what to do. She should know what to do without being told as she has already been with us for more than 1 month. Later when I reminded her to steam sweet potato for the gals for breakfast, she steamed a potato instead. I had written on a piece of paper last night what she should be cooking today and instructed her to steam sweet potato. I even stuck the note on the fridge but I guess she did not read the note. This morning when I woke up, I reminded her again to steam sweet potato, yet she steamed a potato. I then told her to quickly steam the sweet potato so that the gals can have it for lunch as it was already 10am. I told her she can keep the potato and eat it for lunch. Whilst I was busy preparing breakfast for the gals, she was busy eating her potato away. I was really fuming mad.
I then called the maid agent and told him I would like to have this Cambodian maid returned to the agency to be exchanged with the Indon maid he had originally promised me. Luckily the Indon maid wasn’t assigned to another employer yet and my maid agent came to my house within half an hour with the new temp Indon maid.
When the maid agent was at my house, he asked me to brief him again my maid’s weaknesses and mistakes. After briefing him, the agent reprimanded my maid big time. We then went to the laundry room where my maid keeps her clothes and watched her pack her things. I then told the agent that this maid has been treating the laundry room like a rubbish dump as she has been keeping things that we had thrown into the dustbin in this room. All of a sudden, the unexpected happened. The agent did something to the maid which I did not expect that he would do it at my house…. right in front of me. I was really shocked, dumbfounded and for a moment, I felt bad that the agent had done it to my maid, not only once but thrice. My maid was in tears and I felt sorry for my maid. After the agent had briefed the new temp maid what to do, he left with my Cambodian maid.
Now, I have to start training my new temp Indon maid from scratch. I hate to think that just when she has gotten use to everything, she would have to leave when the new permanent maid arrives and I will have to train the new maid all over again.
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the potato part was really funny. can’t help laughing. did the agent slap the maid? guess they do this a lot eh? hope the new Indon maid is better.
maybe she didnt know which is sweet potato and which is potato? besides writing, you got draw picture for her ah??? 😆
well, i am not surprise to what the agent did to her.
i hope the indon maid will be much better. 🙂
Barb…. i know it’s funny but I was really fuming mad when she was enjoying her potato and I haven’t even eaten my breakfast at 10am.
Miche…. she knows lar, she has been steaming sweet potatoes for my gals for breakfast many times.
It’s sure will be tired to explain and start all over again with the new maid .. well … be patient.
BTW. i m curious .. how the agend treat the maid ??? *-*
it’s a good thing the agency has a replacement right away. I wish you are lucky this time with your new indonesian helper.
Hope the Indon maid is not as blur as the old one. Yes, it’s a hassle to train a new one again, but better to train some1 who can listen n improve than train some1 so MCC.
Shireen, i feel really sorry for u at this stage where u should be really resting and saving stamina for your Caesarian later. So far I’ve had 5 maids including this current one. Except for one crazee one..I am blessed to have Indon maids who stayed with me for 2 years before they go back to their family in good terms with me. I normally draft out their “senarai tugas” (duty list) and the house regulations. Then I stick different notice at every corner e.g at the dutbin area when r the days for picking up rubbish, at the laundry: reminder to separate white clothes frm colour ones: water filter: short instructions as reminder, etc..They are very low IQ and absentminded when they first arrive no matter how high their educatio level is. I suggest u may want to take video on ways to do certain things so that u dont need to repeat so many times. Maids can really be pests if we can those “makan hati” ones!! Good luck. U take care.
congrats that ur frustration is gone!! hope this indon maid will be a gd one.. she is still a temp too? wat abt ur permanent one? eh what the agent did to ur cambodian maid ah? slapped her ah?
hopefully yr new maid will be better than the former…i know what the agent did to yr maid..but this is how the agent always punish them…..
Good for you, finally u sent her off. Hope this temp indon maid is a better one. Good luck! No more nightmare lo. 😉
Good lah.. otherwise.. lagi more stress.. not good for you. Good luck with the new maid ya.. 🙂
Alamak dun scare me la. I’m just about to get a maid with no previous experience with one before…..
Aiyor why she so bodoh one. Ya what did the agent do to her.. SMACK her ah?
Even if you draw a million pictures or tell them a thousand times, they have the same reply…”I forget”.
I know ….I am dealing with one right now.
I am actually considering of getting a cambodia maid in future as the current Indon have various problems. But now after reading your story makes me think twice, pretty stress up!
May I find out from you which part of Cambodia did your ex-maid came from? Also which maid agency did you used? Thanks.
Sometime I wish our govt can impose an entry examination like what Spore govt did for all foreigners who wish to apply for maid jobs. That way a proper screening on min. requirement can be done, and of course no qualms of salary hike then. ~sigh!
Take care.
Mine comes from Ponha Leu district, Kandal province. I took her from the so called biggest maid agency in Malaysia – Princeton. What irks me is that maids’ pays are going up but not the quality.
Mikka…My ex-Cambodian maid was from a very ulu place, that’s what she told us. She was a rejected maid.The agent is my daughter’s classmate’s parents.
I was browsing n saw yr blog – I felt at peace that I was not the only person frustrated with my maid of 18 months – Cambodian origin. I hate saying this but mine is really dumb..it stresses me each time I see her doing her chores as she has total disregrad for any instructions given to her and make up her own rules….she is really a nice girl in behaviour with no attitude but I really cannot tahan her “bodoh-ness” – can’t remember a single thing , needs specific instrucions daily and communication is a nightmare..I am now serriously considering switching back to Indonesian or Filipino ….
My brother got a cambodian maid also, this maid really STUPID, she don’t understand any language you say. My mother said she get mad everyday just to tell her to do something. Even my brother’s wife and children now won’t want to talk to her, they said if asked her to get something, she is like don’t understand what you’re talking about and took the wrong thing every time, so they said they get it themselves are more faster and won’t need to lose their temper. Now the maid is with them for almost 4 months, she still don’t know any language, she only doing the routine job for them, like laundry and clean the house.
Well, my Indon maid from Nusa Tenggara Tengah (NTT) of 16 mths not any better as well. She has curly hair with hugh big body structure than my hubby and me. She can’t understand B.Indon well, not to mention our B.Malaysia as her daily speak their tribe’s language. Till today, she still very forgetfull and rough with hsework. She is very Tomboy,hot temper and rude (due to her family background grown up). We find that perhaps she is more suitable works in Farm or Plantation than as a hsemaid. My previous Indon maid of 5 yrs from Jawa Timur was very good at work and we really stastified with her. Conclusion – pls check where maid from and thats make a lot of diffirence.
My cambodian maid of 15mths told us recently that her father was very sick and dying and need to go home. We let her go and gave her 4mths paid with 2 weeks off. 2 days later she’s telling us that her sister is sick, her mom is not well and she’s been sick too! Now she’s decided not to come back at all. The lesson I’ve learnt and also reminded by my agent is that never ever let the maid have contacts with their family..Just to inform her family that she’s safely arrived is fine. We don’t understand their language and we don’t know what they’re talking about either… Got maid also problem, no maid also another problem!! Sometimes these maids ‘act dumb’… and forgetful too…
hi shireen, i was browsing about maids and then i chanced upon your blog.. haha. but what i read, sigh… it’s sickening that we have to endure maids who act bodoh, who dont make an effort or appreciate the job that they have. my 3rd and current maid, nearing 2yrs now, is hardworking and only steals food once in a while, has started to tell lies and at her 1yr anniversary here, she is brave enough to scold me and talk back. but she does this only in our hse when there is no one else besides two of us. so u see, she’s the very smart one. she tells us she wants to extend her contract but tells the opposite to her family. when something goes wrong eg scractches on my son, she immediately becomes defensive even before we question her.
she sets her own rules, bad mouths me to my aunts and relative’s maid and is stubborn in her ways. i hv reminded her many times and she jst keeps quiet. i know she’s not dumb, and she keeps praising herself and saying that other maids are not good enough. sigh. why i keep her is becoz she’s by far 100% better than maid no1 and no2 and i’m sick of changing maids. wat are the chances of getting a better one? but after the last incident of her talking back to us and badmouthing us to others, i’m now seriously contemplating of sending her back.
sigh. back to square one.
I took a viet maid instead because of all the recent drama with indonesia. So far so good, hardworking and polite- always greets, speaks mandarin/ some english, but only that she dresses sexy for a maid, i mean for us its ok like wearing shorts, spaghetti straps ect which she brought here, i admit the weather is hot but she is pretty and quite a few times i caught my husband looking at her behind. I am not happy but works gets done, my husband comes back early nowdays and i reach home around 8pm, no hanky panky so far but i just am worried sometimes, my husband says i am paranoid, he comes back early to see his baby daughter, but this girl is pretty and polite and what if he elopes with her?
Found your blog by chance while browsing for opinion on hiring Cambodian maid. Huh! I am now deeper into my depression bcoz thot of getting one immediately. Don’t want to take Indon maid anymore bcoz with too many of Indons here, she can communicate easily with others.
Well the sad story is that, I have just ‘lost’ my maid yesterday. She ran off after working with us nearly 9 years (years ok.. not months). She disappeared with her passport & cash (from a supposedly safely locked briefcase) and more cash around the house. She managed to escape with cash abt RM6k and pieces of my jewellery worth abt RM4k. I am really, really depressed. We have treated her like part of the family and she used to get everything she asked for, including skin-care, body lotion etc. What I have just found out, she have had a boyfriend and her own handphone already. No doubt, she is being helped by someone outside there to run away.
I really pity my daughter, now 7 years old who is very close to her and has been taken care by this ex-maid of mine since birth. She looks disturbed.
Indon again? Don’t think so.
Cambodian? Now doubtful.
Phillipino?
Any idea anyone?
Can you pls recomend me your agent? I think he is a very good agent.Thks.
After reading all the above, This is why hiring a Filipino is still the best. If they run away or doing nonsense, you just make 1 report to their Embassy…their passport will be cancelled or taken the next time they want to renew their permit. The permit would be under the employer’s name and they paid their own permit. No doubt,their salary is high, they go out on Sunday and maybe have a little fun but we have not heard them stealing or runaway with our things…why because they are afraid of their embassy..Combodian, Sri Lanka, Vietnam and Indonesia Embassies are not as strict as the Philippines embassy. They would not bother of their own people unless we torture their people….why? they would use this as a weapon in their politic games with our governtment. They are below average country, Philippines is above average and a little arrogant to take advantange on matter like this. I have many Philippine maids calling me asking to help finding them employers….and I have lots of experiences in dealing with Indonesian and Philippines maids and Thank God…trust me I could tell their true colour soon I see them. Call me at 0122112159
Hi,
I’ve recently just got my cambodian maid after waiting for 6 months plus, the purpose is to take care of my new born baby, however initial plan was that we’re expecting the maid to arrive 3 months after application just right to take care the baby, however as it turns out it takes 6 months plus which forced us to find a baby sitter instead for the purpose, now with the maid arrived we’ve observed she is obedient and able to do common house work as long as you show her what you like her to do using sign language etc, even during idle time she is self initiative enough to find chores to do such as sweep & mob floor, collecting dried cloths and sort it and keep it nicely, so I would says they’re fairly good in terms of doing housework as long as you let them know your expectation, good thing is they don’t know anybody else here not like indon maid where they’re quite sought after by any indon men which caused all this runaway cases. with the high cost of hiring new maid and re-pay the same cost again once they’ve runaway it’s worth the training effort for an Cambodian maid.
Language wise I’ve seen 1 good example of cambodian maid who’re able to converse very well in English after train by employer, this apply to whatever language if you’ve the patient to teach them.
Unfortunately due to the need no longer there for having such maid I’m looking to find another employer for her, anyone interested pls contact Mr. Loh at 012-6515343, this is a readily available maid which has got her work permit and Fomema certified, this saves any employer time and effort, transfer cost would be the same like hiring a new one but time is saved.
really a big no to cambodian maid.. I have to serve them when during my confinement time. So in short i have to take care of two babies.
Yikes, I have few Indo maids previously and they ranges from good to bad. This time, I took over my friend’s Indo maid and she is as how you have described your Camb. maid.
Now, I am not sure whether to take in Indo or Camb? Initially I thought the Camb maid will be more sincere but looks like, they are also ‘human being’
Cambodian Maid:
Communication error. Simple English “Yes and No”
Eating large amount of food, always hungry.
Some can speaks Mandarin, but more to searching for pleasure than intended carry out household task.
Some are hardworking, but not really tidy. You may state a thourough timetable and there will be peace of mind, save all the tiny troubles that accumulate.
They are human beings, therefore all sorts of characters wise. IQ was not so good, but some are really very clever. They smile and greet but run away percentage is low for the moment.
Overall is better to get Cambodian maid than Indonesian maid. Maid’s price from Cambodia is relatively high, combine with Malaysia price up to 9K to 10K. Cambodia Agent very clever in money making business, and every item state clear in Agreement and Stamping to the relevant Government Authorities.
Indonesia Maid:
Beware, you lost a large amount of money to get Indonesia maid!
Indonesia Agency ARE VERY2 ACTIVELY SLY AND THEY HAVE THEIR WAYS OUT, BEWARE!!! Malaysia Agency and Malaysia employer always lost the battle and is A PERFECT PREY for them.
Hi…was just browsing thru the internet and hoping to get some information about Cambodian maids when I came across your article. My Indon maid left me after almost thirteen and a half yrs with me to get married and start her own life and family in her home country.
I waited for almost 3 1/2 months and my “22” yrs old Cambodian maid arrived. Considering that she did not bring much with her, I bought her brand new bras, panties, t-shirts, shorts etc and all the neccessary basic items required to make her feel at home and comfortable.
After almost 8 1/2 months now, I must say that I have much regrets taking her. I won’t say that all Cambodian maids are no good as I had a temporary one for a week (she’s matured and thrifty and able to work without much supervision and instructions) before my permanent one arrived. This temp. was just put into my home for a week’s training as her permanent employers did not want to take her without training. Thus the one week at my home.
My own maid – let’s call her S – is one maid with attitude problems. She kept her brand new clothes and all the things I bought for her daily usage and instead took 12 panties from me and my 2 daughters for herself. Likewise with our tshirts etc. Because my last Indon maid stole cash from me before she left (which I closed an eye considering that she worked for sooooo long with me, I considered it a bonus to her), I learnt that I have no choice but to do a weekly check in the maid’s room.
Lo and behold….the surprises that I get….not only did she stole our clothes, she even went to the extend of raiding all my children’s medication (some of which I kept for emergency purposes). She has got the cheek to deny that she took them. She even insisted that she brough some the panties from Cambodia. As if I cannot recognised my own personal clothings. After much scolding, she admitted and pleaded for another chance. She was so sincere admist her tears “Madam I so sorry…I don’t do again” BUT it happened again and again, so much so that my husband got so fed up with the issue that it was his idea (and a brilliant one) that I get panties of one color for her. So again I spent some $$$ and got her RED panties…and I kept all her others to which she can only get it back when she leave for home.
S is really one maid with a very bad attitude. She will do everything her ways, as if she is the employer and we are to listen to her. She even chalked up telephone bills amounting to almost RM300 plus, which I told her she has to pay as I am not the one taking the money but our Telekom Malaysia. This means deducting from her salary. Just too bad for her since she did not listen to us when we had given her clear and simple instructions that she is not to use the telephone without our permission. All our calls are itemised so there is no way to say that we have accused her wrongly.
Sometimes when we think our maids are “stupid” (pardon me – I never like using this word), it is surprising the things they do for their own advantage are not stupid e.g. helping themselves to all the good food, choosing the best pieces of meat from the plate etc, taking and keeping things they like for themselves without permission- these are indeed smart actions on their part!!!
S learnt 2 mths of English before coming over. In order to help her with the household chores, I got her to write it down in English and Cambodian with the hope that she can do her chores easily. But unfortunately, she always say “I forget” and got the cheek to tell us that she cannot work peacefully because she is thinking of her Mummy in Cambodia.
2 days with us, we allowed her to call her brother via the handphone and she talked without a care for as long as she wanted until we had to tell her to finish her conversation…a few days later, she wanted to call again and borrowed a neighbor’s Indon maid to call home. Call her “stupid”?? Then 2 days later she wanted to call again. Within a week she wanted to call 3 times home. Tell me which employer is sooooo generous although I can be, if she proof herself worthy of it which unfortunately she did not.
There was an incident when I realised a rat was coming into my house at nite and into her room. I went to her bed and lifted her mattress and found our mails hidden there!!!! What have you got to say to this?? When we questioned her, she said it was raining when the letters came and she took it to her room to dry and of course it remained there until 2 mths later when I saw it. Back to the mattress – I lifted the bed planks too and whoa…..I saw two packets of Mark and Spencers biscuit in a plastic bag already eaten by the rat. I asked S, what is this doing here? She told me my eldest daughter (she has left for NZ in Feb) told her to throw away. I asked if “under the bed” is the dustbin, to which S replied “No”. So is she “stupid” or what??
All I can say is S can only wash the cloths, dry and iron them (that also after many, many lessons on how to do it right and clean), mop the floor and wipe the table. She can’t cook which means I have to rush home each day to get a simple meal for my children. All in all, I think it is just not worth keeping her. I can easily get a part time maid to come in during the weekends to do clean up and ironing. I told her to either buck up or leave by October which will be her first year completed with me. You may ask why keep her for one year and then let her go?
Because my husband and I are kind of soft hearted. If we were to sacked her within her first 6 mths, she would go home without a penny at all. We have paid her first 6 mths of salary in order to bring her in. With another 6 mths, she would have 4 mths pay to take home and the other 2 mths to pay her air ticket.
This is the reason why she is still with us. Sigh…..
I have a large house and have gone through a number of maids through decades, one of them has been with us for over 10 years and is still working here. I provide all my maids with all the comforts they can expect in their own home, including TV, DVD player, DVDs, air-conditioning, shopping money as well as pizza or italian food if I am buying for my family, I’d buy for them too. But my most senior maid (we have 2-3 working for us at a time) has gotten big headed and recently started being rebellious and yells, as though she’s the employer. She butts in my private life and telling me what to do etc.
This is a big lesson for me. I guess I have spoiled them all too much. The lesson is, you don’t have to be cruel but keep a distance as they need to know the employer-employee line. It’s really frustrating though, you see the news about employers getting punished for abusing their maids. But for employers like me, I can’t exactly get a refund of all the good things I’ve done/bought for them. I don’t even deduct their salary for their permits. I’m thinking of replacing them all now but I’ve pretty much given up on them collectively for now.
For the first time after so many Indon maids, my hubby and I have decided to try out Cambodian. This is simply because our previous maid of almost 9 years ran away together with our almost 15k of cash, her passport and my jewelry. So now, we ended up with a Cambodian maid (been with us since early Jan this year). Sad to say, there is almost none that I can praise her.
She is lazy – always sleep during the daytime, no initiative, lack of respect on us, argumentive etc. Of course she cleans up the house, do the laundry and water the plants but looking at the way she did it, it is just for the sake of finishing all the work.
All hidden places (underneath chairs, tables, carpets, rice cooker etc, door & window grilles, corners) are left unattended. Do whatever that can be seen only. I have to keep on showing her all the places that need cleaning up which as a result making me become more heartsick because she will either pulled her face or answer me back giving this and that excuses and worst still claimed that the work was actually done!
Once she has got a cheek to ask my permission to wash the cars but I denied her by reasoning that she should concentrate on the tasks within the house itself. She flatly answered me back in an irritating voice (almost shouting) “Saya tau lah apa nak buat!”. Isn’t that rude? Not only that whenever I ask her to do this and that she will repeatedly say “saya tau! saya tau!” but ended up doing all the wrong things. If asked whether she understand my instruction or not, her answer always ‘yes’ but again, all turned out wrong.
She is very stubborn – teach her to do something correctly she will still do it her way.
Cooking – refused to learn by telling me “saya masak tak sedap, tak ada orang nak makan”.
Twice I warned her if she doesn’t change, we are going to send her back to Cambodia with a hope that she will improve herself but sadly it doesn’t affect her at all. Even now, after 8 months with us she still mix-up our clothes. Mine goes to my children’s rooms vice versa. The means she is not paying attention and couldn’t care less.
The list can go on and on but will bore everyone. Like Maggie, she is still with us because I have persuaded my hubby to give her chance as she came from a very poor family. Otherwise, she is gone after the completion of her final salary deduction last May. But being a human, I cant tolerate her anymore and now waiting for replacement maid.
I shared the same pained with those who have Cambodian maids and I think I m getting HBP for everyday telling her to do this and that properly or better.
Ever since she came, weeks later ants were seen crawling everywhere around the house. After weeks of puzzlement, my husband found bits of biscuits or bakeries which she stole to eat are littered all over the house. It was only after many reprimands and threats to sent her home that she finally stop stealing hence no crumbs and ants. And that was many months later.
No long after my husband thought of having peanut butter sandwich but couldn’t find the jar which was all the time in the fridge. When the maid was questioned, she gave a so pitiful and sad face that we accused her of such things. So me and my hub scoured the house and found it. It was behind the gas cylinder under the stove compartment. When it was opened, it seems like the butter was clawed out by fingers and eaten. I felt faint. The maid admitted it and says sorry blah blah blah…
I can’t imagine she did that but earlier we felt so bad that we really did suspect her of stealing. Now we know better! They are really trained for Oscar Awards. Also when she started working for us, the guest bathroom always began to smell horrible. I usually use it after work for wash up but felt so choked up by the horrid smell. I told this to my husband who says he thought so too.
It was several months later that I discover the actual cause. The maid actually urinate on the bathroom floor instead of the toilet bowl. She didn’t locked the door and when I open and saw her squatting there and doing her business I was shocked and got so distressed. She then use the toilet broom and just swept her urine into the drainage hole.
There are so many things to share but I think I am now shell shocked from her behaviour and attitude.
Really, cambodian maids are maids from hell. Just beware and I wish you good luck in hiring a good maid
To Maggie: I dont understand Maggie, why did u deduct her airticket from her pay? Aren’t employers supposed to pay for maid’s return flight ticket?
To Winnie: Dear Winnie, you are so nice to your maids. I guess sometimes when they have been too long with u, they will tend to be a bit yaya. It’s rather hard to draw a line though if they have been with u for a long time.
I have been maidless for almost 1 year. Recently indo maids are out-of-stock. Those who come are not as capable as last time maids. I have been considering Cambodian maid too, but a bit reluctant to give it a try as language barrier is definitely a big problem for me. I dont think I have the patience to teach a maid our language. Teaching them their duties is already a big headache for me. I really hate engaging new maid.
After my very first maid, I got my 2nd indo maid from another agent. A very kind but a bit dumb maid. I had no choice but to send her home after 1 month of “resultless” training. The only reason I kept her for so long was because she is a Christian.
My 3rd maid came in for 1 month, then ran away. I read her mobile (I didnt know she kept a secret mobile cuz I helped her to keep another mobile and only passed to her when she needed it) sms and realised that she actually wanted to run away since the day 1, but she didnt have the chance. Too bad I didnt check her mobile earlier.
After 2 failed maids, my agency fee was halfly gone, and last week I finally received partial refund from the agent and started my maid search process again. Money spent a lot, but I am still maidless.
This morning, I have decided to confirm a Philipino maid application. This Phil maid worked in Spore for 4 years, and looking really kind. I hope I do not make a wrong move again.
Kind of fed up. U know?