@kayliz, i understand how you feel. Right now, my maid is also the same. No initiative and a little dumb. Sometimes I wonder if they really dumb or what or just doing the minimal. She's not lazy to do things but very lazy to think and always forgetting things and doesn't even bother to write down.
The 1st 2 months, I was very patient and didn't say anything but kept telling her to learn. After that, I just screamed and she seems to be better but still not good enough. Will still forget. And when I say forget, it's things like taking our frozen food at 9am to cook for dinner! Wash clothes and tell me there's no space (don't this more than 5 times already) until I told her she can only wash clothes once a day.
Everyone told me she is from the kampong so she's slower. But it has been 4 months. Even if you're slow, I think 4 months is ridiculous! She just has a bad attitude when it comes to learning. She cannot speak English but refuses to look at my hand gesture when I talk. I've asked her many times before whether she can understand what I am saying if she doesn't even look at my hand gesture. Talk about stupidity/bad learning attitude.....
This is my 3rd maid already and I don't intend to change. The only redeeming factor is she really loves my kid and is very patient and careful with her. I would have changed her if not for this. 'Coz she is really slow in doing things and slow in learning and understanding. Oh and she is honest too which is a very important criteria to me.
And if a maid asks to go, I won't retain her. I don't know when she'll act up. I rather let her go and show them that we don't need them. Don't have to threaten. A lot of them think we simply cannot survive without them which is true for some people who has no one to help.
That was what happened to my 2nd maid who told us smugly "If you don't me, you can bring me back to the agent.". I got rid of her that evening and told her to pack up right away. I have no confidence in a stranger who is vindictive and threatens us with an infant at home. She was pretty shocked and cried while packing. Totally pissed me off and I scolded her to stop. No need to threaten and act poor thing after that. You ask for it, you get it. I was struggling 1 month without a maid and working from home too. did everything on my own and it was the most exhausting period of my life. But boy, what a good feeling it is to know you can do it. albeit a bit tough.