‘Perfect maid’ murder poser
The Malay Mail Online – 7 hours agoRELATED CONTENT
- ‘Perfect maid’ murder poser
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 27 — The family of stepbrothers Koay Jia Hong, five, and 18-month-old Melvin Selvan Joseph, who were murdered by their Indonesian maid on Tuesday evening, are baffled as to what could have driven a “kind-hearted, normal” person to commit such a crime.
Melvin’s father, Selvan Joseph, 44, said the maid, known as Agnes, was introduced to him and his estranged wife by their former maid, who had moved to Johor with her husband.
He said Agnes, who was from Flores Island, was able to speak Mandarin and, although he and his wife knew she was residing in the country illegally, her language skill overrode other matters.
“She was also a good employee. She was hardworking and friendly and treated the children as if they were her own,” said Selvan, an independent IT consultant.
“We initially wanted a Filipino maid but when we met her and found out she could also speak Mandarin, we decided to employ her.”
Police said Agnes slit the throats of the stepbrothers in their home at Taman Sri Putra here before slitting her own throat.
“I can’t understand why she would commit such a horrible act,” said Selvan.
“Just the night before the incident, my wife and her family took Agnes out for a nice dinner with them.
“They said she was acting normal and there was nothing to indicate she had planned to kill the children.”
The boys’ mother, Koay Wan Nee, 27, and grandparents were at the coffeeshop they own when the incident took place.
Sungai Buloh police chief Supt Junaidi Bujang said the three bodies were discovered in a pool of blood by the boys’ grandmother who came home at 7.45pm.
Selvan, who lives in another house nearby, said Agnes had on several occasions mentioned to him how much she missed her child back home.
“Whenever she watched me play with the children, she would tell me she missed her child and that she wanted to go back,” he said.
“Unfortunately she had no documents that would allow her to travel, so I told her she should meet the person who brought her into the country and ask for his help.”
Junaidi said police have ruled out foul play as the house was protected by four Rottweiler dogs known to bark at strangers who approach.
He also said the post-mortem result revealed the maid had died a slow death.
“The port-mortem revealed all three had died from incised wounds to the neck.
“The doctor who conducted the autopsy confirmed the maid had committed suicide based on several stab wounds to her chest and three small injuries at the left side of her neck before she slit her own throat.”
Neighbours were puzzled by the incident.
R. Vajenthimala, 35, who lives next door, said Agnes was seen working throughout the day.
“She never left the house without the family,” she said.
Another neighbour, S. Arumugan, 26, said he had met Agnes a few times when the family brought her to neighbourhood functions.
“She would keep to herself and tend to the children,” he said.
