The Hong Kong government has admitted it does not regulate boarding houses for foreign domestic workers after an Indonesian maid was killed by a falling concrete slab when sleeping on a roof.
Elis Kurniasih, 33, was waiting for her employment visa when she was crushed in the freak accident atop a North Point employment agency building on March 11.
The case raised questions about the often overcrowded conditions at employment agencies and boarding houses where Hong Kong’s foreign domestic workers usually stay while awaiting employment.
Replying to a written question from Labor Party chairman and lawmaker Lee Cheuk-yan in a LegCo meeting yesterday, Labour and Welfare Secretary Matthew Cheung said licensees under the Employment Agency Regulations and Employment Ordinance are not required to provide boarding facilities for their clients.
“There is no requirement under the prevailing laws for the employment agencies to provide boarding houses to job seekers, including foreign domestic helpers,” he said.
When pressed on whether such premises were monitored, Cheung admitted that a case would only be investigated if a complaint was made.
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