A recent newspaper report had said that fees involved in hiring foreign helpers in Malaysia were among the highest in the world.

The owner of a Penang-based job agency claimed the cost of hiring a maid was about RM20,000 and could go higher if the quarantine cost of about RM3,000 was factored in.

In a statement today, the immigration department said the fee charged by the government for first-time foreign maids was as low as RM1,136.

This includes the levy payment rate, visa, processing fee, pass fee, security deposit and other related fees, it said.

It also clarified that the permitted source countries for foreign maids were not limited to just a few countries.

The department also said foreign maids needed to comply with the eligibility requirements, such as age and gender, and pass the health examination by Fomema upon arrival in the country.

It said 88,173 foreign maids were holding temporary working visit passes in Malaysia at the end of last year..

It has been reported that the salaries for Indonesian helpers range from RM1,200 to RM1,500 a month while those for Filipino maids start at RM1,670 a month.