In Malaysia's latest case of alleged abuse of a domestic worker, a woman has been charged for physically abusing her Indonesian maid, a lawyer said Friday.
Lawyer M. Manoharan said his client, Hau Yuan Tyng, 43, pleaded not guilty in a Kuala Lumpur court Thursday to three charges of physically abusing Siti Hajar Sadli - once with hot water; once with a hammer; and the third time with a pair of scissors.
If found guilty, the single mother of two could face a maximum of 43 years in prison and whippings, he said.
Hau also pleaded not guilty to a separate charge of failing to renew Siti Hajar's work visa, which expired in July last year, an offense that carries a jail term of up to a year, Manoharan said.
Hau, who worked part time at a maid agency, was released on bail pending the next court hearing on July 22, but has to surrender her passport to the court and report to police regularly, he said.
Siti Hajar, 33, escaped earlier this month after working for Hau for three years in a luxury condominium. Photographs of Siti Hajar's reddened, scalded body were widely publicized, sparking anger in Indonesia; President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono has pledged to seek justice for her.
Some 320,000 foreigners, mostly Indonesians, work as maids in Malaysia. Indonesian diplomats estimate at least 1,500 maids seek help at their offices across Malaysia each year. Most complain about unpaid wages, but accusations of physical abuse are not uncommon.
The Malaysian government earlier this week said it would change its labor laws to ensure domestic workers give maids are given a weekly day off and other benefits including compensation for accidents at work. They will also get a list of telephone contacts for embassy, police and welfare officials to report abuse.
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