Saturday, Sep 29, 2012
An Indonesian woman was allegedly beaten up with a hockey stick and a ladle by her employers in Johor Baru, Malaysian newspapers reported.
This is believed to be the first case of maid abuse since Indonesia lifted a ban on sending domestic helpers to Malaysia in December last year.
The woman in her 20s, known only as Marsini, was warded at the Sultanah Aminah Hospital after "fleeing" from her employers on Sunday, reported The Star.
Ms Marsini said she came to Malaysia nine months ago and was posted to work as a maid with a couple in Taman D'Utama.
Her duties were to clean the house, cook and look after the couple's young child.
But she reportedly told reporters at the hospital on Tuesday: "Not long after, the husband and wife started hitting and abusing me. They got angry over minor things and said my cooking was bad."
She allegedly suffered broken bones and had injuries on her face, chest, back and inner thighs, China Press reported.
Ms Marsini was apparently:
Scalded by hot water
Cut by knives
Punched in the face
Burned with a heated ladle
Hit on the head with a hockey stick
Allowed to eat just one meal a day
Not paid her salary even though she has been working for nine months
Reports said she ran away from her employer's two-storey house.
China Press reported that the couple were not at their home when reporters turned up.
The husband is believed to be a second-hand car salesman and his wife is believed to be a teacher.
One of the neighbours, a 57-year-old woman, told China Press that she had bumped into Ms Marsini on the street at about 12.15pm last Sunday.
The maid asked whether she could borrow the the neighbour's mobile phone because she wanted to make a call to her "kakak" (elder sister in Malay).
The neighbour told China Press that Ms Marsini was wearing a face mask and a handkerchief on her head to hide her injuries.
But Ms Marsini was so weak that she barely had the energy to press the buttons on the phone, the neighbour reportedly said.
Sensing something was amiss, the neighbour got another Indonesian worker to send Ms Marsini to the hospital.
Since the alleged abuse, the maid said that she just wants to go home.
Senai assemblyman Ong Kow Meng, who visited her at the hospital, reportedly said what happened to her was "tragic and unacceptable".
He has brought up the matter to the Indonesian consulate here, reported The Star.
Johor Baru police said that a report has been lodged.
