During the day, Ayu takes care of her employer’s two daughters, whom she has worked for 14 years. In the evening, after finishing work at the household, Ayu goes to learn dancing, and recently, she’s been busy practising her lines for a drama production called “Our Bodies” that explores the feelings of local Indonesian domestic helpers like Ayu.
There are currently roughly 180,000 non-resident workers among Macau’s population of about 650,000, according the Statistics and Census Bureau (DSEC).The figures show that in the second quarter of this year, about 60 percent of the non-resident workers are from the mainland, 15.4 percent from Indonesia, 8.3 percent from Vietnam and 3.1 percent from Hong Kong, while a mere 2.6 percent are from Indonesia.
According to the Labour Affairs Bureau (DSAL), the number of non-resident workers from Indonesia stood at 4,582 at the end of July. Some 71 percent were employed as domestic helpers. Indonesians ranked third among non-local domestic helpers, after Filipinas and Vietnamese.
Indonesian domestic workers practise their drama “Our Bodies” at Albergue SCM on Sunday. Photo: Iong Tat Choi
“Our Bodies” producer Bobo Leong Ka Wai (left) and project manager/director Nicole Wong Weng Chi pose at Macau Experimental Theatre’s office after speaking to MPD Weekender on Monday. Photo: Monica Leong
