Ersatz

I don't see the big deal with the shortage of maids in this country. Instead relying on foreign talents in the arts of housekeeping and child-raising why not look closer to home? Why not utilize the untapped pool of local talents? i'm sure there is a large pool of seri kartikas in the country, the drunks, the traffic offenders, in short, those whose offence that can be sentenced to community services.

For one, it would stem the massive influx of Cambodians and Godknows who else into the country. Secondly i think doing a year or so of domestic chores might be very rehabilitative to those convicted of not-so-serious offences. I mean, given to Malaysian's well-known reputation for testing out new kettles and irons on maids (so said the Indonesians) we can rest assured that by the time their sentence is done they would emerge as new man or woman, full of keinsafan, not to mention we can avoid straining the already strained relationship with our Indonesian neighbour with another Nirmala Bonat-like incident. After losing the AFF Suzuki Cup i think they are ready to wage war with sharpened bamboos and all over any perceived provocation from us.

Whatever the details maybe, the move would be a win-win situation for all. The offenders get ironed out (literally) and we get our maids. No money wasted on hiring illegal temps and no need to scout for a new source of cheap maids.

Or, we can just stop relying on maids and do these things ourselves. Iron our own shirts, cook our own dinners, wash our own dishes and raise our children ourselves. After all, its kasih sayang ibu bapa the children needs, not kasih sayang bibik.

The first step towards inculcating self-reliance in our increasingly lazy and dependant society begins with washing your own plates. Start today.