Alleged maid abuser charged in Malaysia

Alleged maid abuser charged in Malaysia

Agencies
Kuala Lumpur/Jakarta/Kupang

A Malaysian housewife alleged to have violently abused her
teenage Indonesian maid was charged on Saturday, a day after the
suspect's husband lodged a police report claiming the maid's
injuries were self-inflicted.

A tearful Yim Pek Ha, 36, pleaded not guilty to four charges
of voluntarily causing grievous harm to 19-year-old Nirmala
Bonet, DPA reported.

Nirmala, who arrived in the country in September from East
Nusa Tenggara, claims she was beaten, burned or scalded with
boiling water every day for the past five months for any mistakes
she made.

Horrific police photos of the young girl were splashed across
all of the major local newspapers on Thursday, showing Nirmala's
badly beaten and swollen face, as well as severe burn marks all
over her body.

The multiple charges against Yim came a day after her husband,
Hii Ik Tiing, the managing director of a company, filed a
counter-report alleging that Nirmala had not only inflicted the
wounds on herself, but had also stolen up to 10,000 ringgit
(US$2,632) from his home.

The businessman also faces legal action if it is found that he
knew of the abuse and did nothing to stop it.

Prosecutors were quoted by AFP as saying they would show
medical evidence of the severity of the injuries sustained by
Nirmala, which they say have left her physically and mentally
scarred for life.

Yim's lawyer, K. Balaguru, said he would file an appeal with
the High Court to protest his client being denied bail, saying
she had not been proven guilty.

Yim has four children to take care of and needs medical help
after being in detention for five days, the lawyer said.

Nirmala's plight has sparked outrage among Malaysian leaders
and members of the public, who have demanded swift and stern
action against the perpetrator.

Prime Minister Abdullah Ahmad Badawi said he was "shocked and
outraged" at the abuse inflicted on Nirmala, and pledged that the
perpetrators of the "heinous crime" would be brought to justice
swiftly.

He described the case as "shameful and despicable".

The government has offered Nirmala an official apology. "We
apologize and wish to extend our sympathies to her and her
family, who had placed high hopes on her earning an income, but
she was abused instead," said Deputy Internal Security Minister
Noh Omar.

Malaysian Attorney General Abdul Gani Patail, who has
described Yim as "a monster", said Hii was also under
investigation because he lodged the theft complaint against
Nirmala a day after his wife's arrest.

Protesters continued to express outrage over the abuse of
Nirmala in Jakarta and several other cities across Indonesia on
Saturday, demanding protection for Indonesian maids overseas.

Dozens of activists, many carrying irons, staged a protest
outside the Malaysian Embassy in Jakarta, depicting how Nirmala
was allegedly abused by her employer.

In East Nusa Tenggara, Nirmala's family demanded that her
abuser be punished.

"We want the legal process to be conducted fairly and for
Nirmala to return home soon," relative Daniel Bire told The
Jakarta Post.

The Indonesian government has sent a senior official from the
manpower ministry to Kuala Lumpur to deal with the case.

Malaysia is home to more than 100,000 Indonesian maids who are
paid between 350 ringgit and 500 ringgit a month.

Officials at the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur have said
the abuse of maids is rare in the country, and that Nirmala's
case was the worst they had encountered.

A total of 158 cases of maid abuse have been reported to the
police in Malaysia since 2001, including 13 in the first three
months of this year.