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Download Cambodia has followed Indonesians lead and imposed a temporary ban on sending domestic workers to Malaysia.

The Prime Minister, Hun Sen, signed the order following numerous complaints of abuse committed against the workers, who are mostly women, sent there. 

However, questions have already been raised about the effectiveness of such ban.

Sorn Sarath reports from Phnom Penh.

31-year old Hok Pouv went to Malaysia for the first time in 2006.

Nothing bad happened to her. So after failing to find home in Cambodia she went back again.

“I wanted to have money to pay for my children’s education. I also wanted to buy a small house. Working in Cambodia I can only earn only 50 to 60 US dollars per month. It is not enough to pay or to rent a house and to pay electricity bills.”

Things did not work out...

“I left for Malaysia again this year but I only lasted for a month and half. I was forced to wake up at 4.30 in the morning and work till 1 to 2 o’clock at night. I didn’t even get a break for lunch. I ate standing up. If my bosses thought I did something wrong they hit me or they punished me by forcing me to knee or stand in the direct sun. I was also not given enough food. It was very difficult.”

She called her agent.

“It is the big firm in Cambodia, Filimore. They promise me I would not face any problems but they didn’t keep their word. I contact the group’s representative in Malaysia but they didn’t help. They only threatened me that I would have to compensate the boss if I left.”   

So she turned to a Cambodia rights group.

Tola Moeun heads the group.

“She called my phone and then we manage to contact her family. And suddenly we contact to our partner in Malaysia with complaints from the family. Our partner collaborates with the police and then they raid the house and rescue the maid immediately.”

His group, the Community Legal Education Center, provides legal aid for migrant workers inside and outside the country.

He says they often get cases of abuse from Malaysia.

“We got a report from the maid and at least two girls were rapped. One was rapped by the employer and she got pregnant, she is still in Malaysia at the movement. And another girl was rapped while she tries to escape from the employer’s house. We are still searching the two maids that got rapped in Malaysia.”

Tola is pleased that the government has finally taken a stand to protect Cambodian workers in Malaysia.

“It is a good step that the government decides to ban sending maids to Malaysia for a while in order to have enough pressure to negotiate with Malaysia government, some condition and terms to be included, to be addressed in the MoU between the two countries.”

Earlier this month, police raided a recruitment firm in Cambodia and freed 35 underage recruits who were destined for Malaysia.

But despite the ban some Cambodians like 25 year old Ho Phally are still willing to go.

“We don’t have money and I think that working abroad can get high salary. So I want to go to find money to supply my family but my parents don’t allow.”

Ho Phally now works as maid for a family in Phnom Penh and her other three siblings are working in Thailand.  

Tens of thousands of Cambodians cross the border - legally and illegally - into Thailand and Malaysia each year seeking employment.

At least 30,000 Cambodian women are employed as domestic workers in Malaysia.