I think, generally, no employment agency is in the business to provide untrue and inaccurate data - such as the age and experiences provided in their biodata - to employers.

It is a matter of how much true information is provided by and can be obtained and verified by the employment agencies on their candidates.

The same logic applies to a job applicant. He completes the job application and the company would expect him to be truthful and honest in the information he provides. The company could employ him without knowing that his 'Bachelor of Engineering' certificate is fake.

We have read similar stories from newspapers. So reasonable care should be taken by the employment agencies in scrutinising candidates for any job, and not just maids. Bear in mind, too, that if anyone wants to lie about his experience and education, he will find a way to do it. There is really little employment agencies can do about it. So it is unfair to say that the agency is in 'breach of duty of care and no-disclosure'.

Mdm Tjio also suggested that the 'maid loan could be done away with as it is not fair for the employer to have to assume this responsibility'. I know employers from Europe and other countries have sought maids who had worked in Singapore - they pay the costs to fly them to their countries. We employers in Singapore should be more understanding that the maid loan is unavoidable. We should not pass off our responsibility to the employment agencies, otherwise many would have to close shop.

Bernard Ong Hock Chye