A lack of legal protections, insufficient commitment from the Malaysian government and an overworked, understaffed embassy are among the major obstacles to lifting the maid ban, according to an internal government report obtained yesterday.

Penned by the Ministry of Interior, the 12-page brief details a two-day fact-finding mission undertaken in December.

During meetings with the Malaysian government, local NGOs, recruitment agencies, maids, employers and Cambodian diplomats, the 21-member delegation sought to suss out the current situation.

Women return to Cambodia after working in dire conditions as maids in Malaysia in 2012. Photograph: Pha Lina/Phnom Penh Post

Continue reading: Lifting maid ban proving a challenge

Source: (The Phnom Penh Post – January 09, 2013)