Subang MCA chairman Lawrence Chiew (left) and his wife Chai Yoon Thong speaking about their experience attempting to renew their maid's working permit via MyEG's website, which they said was unsuccessful since the option was no longer available as of May 22, 2023. — LOW BOON TAT/THE STAR
SUBANG MCA chairman Lawrence Chiew has urged employers who need to renew their maids’ work permits to be mindful when using MyEG, as he has learnt that the platform no longer provides that particular service as of May 22.
MyEG is an egovernment services provider for services such as foreign worker permit renewal, maid working permit renewal, road tax renewal and driving licence renewal.
“My wife Chai Yoon Thong and I have been using MyEG’s platform to renew the work permit for our Filipino maid several times and those transactions went smoothly,” Chiew told a press conference in Puchong recently.
However, Chai said their latest attempt was unsuccessful even after submitting all the required documents on June 7 and paying RM631 for the application.
“On June 21, we came across a dispatch rider who was delivering a driving licence to our neighbour.
"When we asked him about our maid’s work permit renewal, we were shocked when he told us MyEG no longer provides that service as of May 22,” she said.
“I tried calling MyEG for a status update but was told to email my enquiry instead. I was informed that MyEG’s system was under maintenance and my application status would be updated once the system was up and running.
“I am worried as my maid’s existing permit expires on July 23 and I need her work permit to be sent to the (Philippine) Embassy for contract renewal,” she added.
Chai said she was advised by MyEG’s customer service executive to resubmit her application online through the Immigration Department’s ePLKS system.
“I tried that but was unsuccessful as the system detected an application overlap. I was then advised by the executive to seek help at the nearest Immigration Department office,” she said.
Chiew said they visited the Immigration office in Shah Alam on June 26 to sort out the matter.
“The Immigration officers said that MyEG no longer provided the maid work permit renewal service and that it didn’t make sense for the option to still be available on its website. They also said many people had complained about the same problem.
“The officers were very understanding and were able to assist with my application. I managed to get the epermit for my maid’s work permit the same day,” he said.
Meanwhile, Chai said getting a refund from MyEG has been a hassle. While she was initially required to submit several documents as proof, that requirement was later rescinded and she was told she would get her refund soon.
Chiew asked why MyEG still had the link to renew maids’ work permits on their website when the option was no longer available.
“MyEG should put up a notice on its website to alert users that the service is no longer available and what the alternative option is,” he said.
“We tried logging in on June 27 but MyEG’s website states that it is down for maintenance.
“I believe there are many employers and even maid agencies facing similar predicaments. They will have to either use ePLKS for their permit renewal or seek help from the nearest Immigration Department office if their application is in limbo,” he said.
MyEG has declined to issue a comment on the matter while a representative from the Immigration Department could not be contacted.
