Indonesia appeals for worker's life

Indonesia appeals for worker's life

Fabiola Desy Unidjaja, The Jakarta Post/Jakarta

The Indonesian Embassy of Malaysia has filed an appeal against
the death sentence given to Indonesian maid Herlina Trisnawati,
who was found guilty of murdering her employer.

Consular affairs bureau chief Supeno Sahid said on Sunday
Herlina's lawyer was waiting for the Court of Appeal to schedule
the hearing.

"We submitted the appeal on Friday," Supeno told The Jakarta
Post.

The government was trying to hire a new local lawyer for the
coming trial, he said.

"Hopefully we can find some leeway to gain better arguments at
the Court of Appeal."

After more than a three-year legal process, Herlina was
sentenced to death on Thursday by hanging by the Malaysia High
Court for the premeditated murder of her employer in August 2001.

Under the Malaysian judicial system, the case now goes to the
Court of Appeal, and should it be rejected, a final appeal can be
lodged with the Federal Court.

Courts have heard that on Aug. 14, 2001, Herlina, 22, hit her
employee Soon Lay Chuan with a stone pestle, after Soon
reprimanded her for burning the food. Soon tried to fight back
with a knife, but Herlina managed to grab it and stabbed Soon
several times.

"She said she had no intention to kill her employer, but she
was very upset at the time," Supeno said. The embassy had been in
contact with Herlina since the day of the incident, he said.

Herlina's lawyer has pleaded temporary insanity for his
client, saying she was under high stress during the incident and
that the killing was not an intentional act.

"We asked for the (High) Court to send her a psychiatrist, but
it denied the request, saying it was irrelevant," Supeno said.

He rejected suggestions the embassy had not assisted Herlina
during her court proceedings.

"We have raised the case several times since 2001 with the
(Malaysian) central government," he said.

Supeno said he had missed Herlina's last hearing on Thursday
because he had to deal with the deportation of illegal migrant
workers.

The embassy was attempting to bring Herlina's parents from
Indonesia as soon as possible to visit their daughter in jail, he
said.

Indonesian Ministry of Foreign Affairs spokesman Yuri Thamrin
said the government was doing everything it could to lobby
Malaysia on Herlina's behalf.

"We do not want to interfere with (Malaysia's) legal
processes, but that said .... we believe Herlina's actions do not
constitute premeditated murder and hope that the court could
reduce her sentence," Yuri said.