Since June of this year, Indonesians outnumbered Filipino domestic helpers in Hong Kong for the first time. As of the latest Immigration records, there are 130,974 Indonesian domestic workers in the city, about 49% of total foreign domestic helper population. Such a surge in numbers has resulted in even more crowding of their traditional bailiwick of the Causeway Bay shopping district on Sundays.

However, as opposed to the thought that there is strength in numbers, Indonesian domestic helpers remain often abused by employers, even before they enter their working premises.While Filipina domestic helpers sometimes fall into the trap of a prostitution ring and end up working at dimly lit corners for strangers instead of cooking meals for families, Indonesians are often short changed on weekly holidays and monthly salaries. Even with an existing law that punishes offenders for paying less than the prescribed monthly wage, such malpractices appear rampant.

A survey by a migrant workers’ group shows nearly a third are paid less than the legal minimum of HK$3,580 (about US$460). Domestic helpers are among the lowest paid workers in the city, yet some unscrupulous individuals still manage to exploit these hard working Indonesians. Worse, they are asked to pay a placement fee much higher than legally allowed 10% of minimum monthly pay (HK$358). Surveyed workers claimed they were charged between HK$20,000 and HK$25,000. 

I was told that many of these Indonesian helpers come from poor village families and belong to the poorest social class in that country. My worry is that they may not be educated enough – although fast learners in the local Chinese language – to know their rights as workers so they fall prey to abusers. By admitting to a false accusation, like one employer placing her mobile phone in a helper’s bag and accusing the latter of theft, the helper becomes liable to pay thousands of dollars on an offence they never committed. Employers resort to verbal, physical and even sexual abuse before terminating a domestic helper’s contract for similar grounds like failing to arrive at work on time and other petty mistakes.

An obvious loophole in the law that forbids domestic helpers the right to permanent residence after seven years in Hong Kong, even if it is clearly stated that a foreigner may be eligible to apply for permanent residency after having “ordinarily resided” in Hong Kong for seven continuous years. Many domestic helpers don’t even care to fight their “exemption” to this privilege, as they only want to earn a decent living, be able to send money to families, and reunite with them in the future. Yet some people manage to deny their basic needs, like getting paid the right wages and getting enough rest.

I hope I am wrong in thinking the reason that Indonesians have become more preferred by employers over Filipinas is that they are easily duped into accepting working contracts that are unfavorable to them. In many cases, Indonesians have to abide by the contract for they are already in Hong Kong and have little reason to back out. After all, they come to Hong Kong in search of a better life for themselves and their families back home. To employers and employment agencies: please don’t abuse your domestic helpers.