“Malaysian employers are free to hire maids from any country they prefer.

“But as far as Indonesia is concerned, if we find any agency charging more than RM15,000, it will be banned from hiring our workers.

“I would advise any employer who has been subjected to high fees to report the agency to the embassy and we will take immediate action,” he told FMT.

Hermono said Indonesia would ensure that all clauses in the MoU on the hiring and protection of Indonesian domestic helpers are adhered to at all times.

He was commenting on a report in The Star today which said those seeking to hire Indonesian domestic helpers may end up paying extra “hidden costs” on top of the RM15,000 price cap, according to employment consultants.

National Human Resources Association Malaysia president Zarina Ismail said that although the price cap imposed by the government is reasonable, some agencies may be charging extra for additional services they have to bear.

She said agencies were responsible for the maids they bring in and this responsibility lasts for the entire contract period or until the maid is sent back.

“As such, the agencies will be on call 24/7 for employers, with some even calling to complain at 1am,” she said.

She also noted the extra charges may also be due to the risks that some agencies are taking following the MoU.

As such, she added, some agencies were taking a wait-and-see attitude and were not keen in sourcing Indonesian domestic helpers at the moment.