Singapore Expats

This topic was not started with any ill intention of disrespect towards one's culture, race and upbringing.

As the thread starter, I will assume part responsibility if this does get out of hand but I hope being the adults we all are, we could set aside our personal differences and bias attitude...

....and share our perception.

As stated in my post on another thread...

I observe that domestic helpers seem to be more 'happier' with a Malay family rather than a Chinese. I get this from their body language and in general how these families treat them in public.

I apologise for mentioning these two races but by far, these are the two biggest group of domestic help employer.

Again this is just my observation not a judgement.

Do most of you agree with my eyes and perception?

...lend me your eyes.

Can't say I have ever noticed before - but I will keep an eye out for it now.

Does their happiness really have something to with the employer's race?

renter wrote:Does their happiness really have something to with the employer's race?

Yes... There are many cases here where the chinese bosses basically consider themselves "master" and the foreign maid to be an inferior race which deserves regular beatings.

The malay family treat them with respect, and recognize they're doing hard, honest work to support their families.

Bold statement there Bremen, but I subscribe to it for a 100%...

Eric

Eric from the Netherlands wrote:Bold statement there Bremen, but I subscribe to it for a 100%...

Eric

Glad we're in agreement.

As a chinese, you might think I am bias... but I know many that have maids.

My uncle's maid has been with them for 20 yrs. They eat together on the same table at the same time, pretty much she is treated like a family.

But I have also seen neighbour's maid washing car as early as 6am.

Another note, there's more chinese maid employer than malay maid employer. How could you compare?

Then again, unfavorable chinese women have long been treated like a maid by their parents or husbands since dinosaur years. So, if they can treat their own kin that way, let alone treating a maid.

Beatings..........did you say BEATINGS?

Good God!

Excuse me, but is it true?

Ling2 wrote:As a chinese, you might think I am bias... but I know many that have maids.

My uncle's maid has been with them for 20 yrs. They eat together on the same table at the same time, pretty much she is treated like a family.

But I have also seen neighbour's maid washing car as early as 6am.

Another note, there's more chinese maid employer than malay maid employer. How could you compare?

Then again, unfavorable chinese women have long been treated like a maid by their parents or husbands since dinosaur years. So, if they can treat their own kin that way, let alone treating a maid.

I'd agree with ling-ling. Not so long ago a few Malay women were in the papers for abusing their maids (remember the iron-scolding cow?) - thankfully they went to jail for a while. Chinese just seem to treat their maids worse because there are more of them and the law of percentages works this way.

How many Indian cops do you see? Less than Chinese ones becuase there are less Indians.

I do also agree with ling-ling that Chiense women have been ill treated or seen as second-tier children for centuries. Given them power over another human being and this kind of crap is the result.

renter wrote:Does their happiness really have something to with the employer's race?

I wonder why it is that expats are the most coveted employers by maids.

I have Chinese neigbours who treat their maid very well, and our maid's past employers treated her appallingly, and were Indian. Go figure - it seems there really might be all kinds of people in every single race. Who would've thought?

Having said all that, my local colleagues (mostly Chinese, of course) have made some pretty shocking claims abut their maids/expectations on them, and it has been pretty hard to keep my eyes in my head at times.

But if we're on the topic of sweeping cultural generalisations, then I would have to say that "in general", I have noticed also that the Indonesian maids are less happy than the Filipina maids too. Maybe the fact they they are earning less and get less benefits, for the same job as their Filipina counterparts has an effect...

Anybody know where most maids come from?

At this point it is a good time to point out that Filipinos, Indonesians and Malays all ethnicly fall under the heading of "Indo-Malay." This could explain a lot. Of course, the Malays generally being a warm, sensituive, fun-loving and kind race of people could also be a reason for the difference, but i guess that would be racial stereotyping and we all know how evil that is...

the expectation of chinese parents of their children also very different, generally more demanding!

It is sad when people act unkindly to the maids or another being. When a person abuses another, he/she is dehumanizing himself/herself more than the maid .

I don't see many Malay SGeans hiring maids though and yes, Malays tend to be more laid back (and less kiasu ?).

Okay guys & gals,

Order has been restored, etc., etc., won't go into details but some suggestions made by you all are being reviewed and will be implemented.

Discussion on this issue is now closed and lets pick up where we left off.

sms

Bremen wrote:

renter wrote:Does their happiness really have something to with the employer's race?

Yes... There are many cases here where the chinese bosses basically consider themselves "master" and the foreign maid to be an inferior race which deserves regular beatings.

The malay family treat them with respect, and recognize they're doing hard, honest work to support their families.

Yes I agree. But sometimes abuse is because of the maid's fault.
Like mine, she tend to be very busybody and tell outsiders about our family problems and conflict. Upon my mother knowing what she has been doing, my mother began to scold her and be strict with her unlike before(but not beat her, never).

This kind of incident happen to some of my friends' maid too, either because of stealing, telling lies etc..