Sympathy, donations pour in for abused maid

Sri Wahyuni, Kuala Lumpur

Sympathy and donations have been pouring in for Nirmala Bonet, the 19-year-old Indonesian maid allegedly abused by her Malaysian employer, the Indonesian embassy said on Sunday.

During a visit to the country to promote tourism, Yogyakarta Governor Sultan Hamengkubuwono X and his wife GKR Hemas also met with Nirmala.

Envoy Rusdihardjo said that as of Saturday, donations from the Malaysian community alone had reached over RM 30,000 (US$7,896).

Nirmala, whose situation was reported to the police after she was found crying on the stairs of her employer's apartment, claimed that the scars and wounds all over her body were inflicted by her employer, Yim Pek Ha, since early this year.

Yim's husband Hii Ik Tiing has filed a counter-report, saying Nirmala inflicted the wounds on herself, including those on her back, and stole up to 10,000 ringgit from them.

At the embassy GKR Hemas handed Nirmala a closed envelope, saying, "I hope you will get well soon and meet your family". Nirmala said she still found it painful to speak because of wounds in her mouth.

Yim Pek Ha, who has pleaded not guilty to multiple charges of torture, was denied bail on the grounds that she might flee given the severity of the case, which has been described as Malaysia's worst case of maid abuse, Bernama news agency reported, as quoted by Agence France Presse.

Yim's trial has been set for July 26 to July 28. The mother of four faces a jail term of up to 67 years and a hefty fine if found guilty.