A Malaysian woman recently shared her grievances regarding the current market rate for hiring domestic help.
Taking to Threads, she claimed that expatriates had “ruined” the market for locals after her helper allegedly demanded a higher salary, with additional costs covered, while working fewer hours.
“My nanny laughed in my face when I asked her to agree to living in, now that we’re in a landed house.
“She wanted the same pay (RM3,200), with accommodation, utilities and meals covered, but working only from 8am to 6pm. I told her no way – she has to work from at least 7am till 7pm, and she laughed and said she wants more pay for that,” the woman said in her post.
The single mother added that the helper allegedly demanded an additional RM500.
According to job-search website Indeed, the average salary for domestic helpers in Malaysia can be as high as RM4,107. However, rates vary depending on location, with the highest recorded in Kuala Lumpur at RM7,624, while Semenyih offers the lowest at RM2,564.
In an updated post, the woman added that she is already paying double the rate stipulated by law, which stands at RM1,800 with all expenses covered.
“The fact I offered almost twice that amount for fewer hours — and still gave weekends and public holidays off — was generous enough.
“Oh, and we’re planning to send our son to daycare, so all she needs to do at the end of the day is house chores and help out with the dog,” she clarified.
Netizens mostly agreed with the woman’s sentiments, claiming to have observed domestic helpers demanding higher wages due to expatriates being more lenient with their requests, thus “ruining” the market.
“I am an expat myself, living in Mont Kiara, and I’ve noticed that many nannies in the neighbourhood demand very high pay. Lots of expats who have just arrived tend to be lenient, and that ruins the market. It’s crazy when the minimum wage in KL is much lower than that,” one user commented.
Another user remarked that the helper’s requested salary was even higher than that of fresh graduates in Malaysia.