An Indonesian migrant worker who returned to Jakarta in mid May from Malaysia with bruises all over her body will press charges against her employer for abusing her and denying her two year's salary.
Local advocacy group Migrant Care said Sumasri, in her 40s, suffered bruises, which had turned into keloid scars, on her back, shoulders, hands and thighs, after her employer allegedly poured boiling water over her body.
The National Migrant Worker Placement and Protection Agency sent Sumasri to her home in Blitar, East Java, on May 25, a week after she arrived at the Soekarno Hatta International Airport in a condition of suffering from deep depression.
Sumasri has not received any money from her employer, called Atung, since she worked in Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia, two years ago. The woman, who has already had a couple of grandchildren, had never established communication with her family since she left Indonesia for Malaysia.
Anis Hidayah, Migrant Care executive director, complained that the placement agency had abandoned Sumasri by sending her home without making any reports of mistreatments.
"She was even sent home without her luggage. The agency gave her family a letter, asking them to take her luggage at the airport," she said.
Anis said her group would accompany Sumasri to press charges against her employer, demanding the boss to pay her two-year salary of 46,800 ringgit (Rp 132 million), to reimburse expenses of psychological and physical medical treatments incurred by her families, as well as material refunds for any possible permanent disability inflicted on Sumasri.
"We sent a letter to the Indonesian Embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Sunday regarding Sumasri's case and we are waiting for their response. Only the embassy has the authority to bring forward the legal proceedings," she said.
Teguh Wardoyo, Foreign Ministry director of migrant protection and legal assistance, said on Tuesday he would coordinate with the Indonesian Embassy to help with Sumasri's case.
"I am not sure how far the progress has been made, but we will coordinate with our embassy in Malaysia about it," said Teguh, who was in Hong Kong for a work visit.
Indonesia documented around 1.3 million migrant workers in Malaysia in 2006.
