Outrage following death of Indonesian maid
AUDREY DERMAWAN
New Straits Times12 February 2018
GEORGE TOWN: Civil society group, Tenaganita, has expressed outrage over yet another death of a domestic worker.
“Why are we letting this happen again and again?
“The rules and regulations within the Employment Act for domestic workers seem not to be protect domestic workers.
“What we need is a separate legislation for them,” Tenaganita director Glorene Das said. Indonesian maid, Adelina, 21, from Medan, died yesterday, following suspected repeated abuse by her employers.
According to Glorene, as long as they are defined as domestic servants and maids in the Employment Act, it creates the mindset and mentality of a master-servant relationship.
She added that one death of a girl, a domestic worker, was one too many.
“We seriously need to address the root cause of why employers feel it is perfectly normal to abuse a domestic worker.
“There needs to be effective policies and legislation to protect maids like Adelina from abusive employers,” she stressed.
It was reported that Adelina was rescued by police on Saturday following suspected repeated abuse by her employers.
She died at 4.45pm yesterday while being treated at the Bukit Mertajam Hospital.
When found at her employer’s home at Taman Kota Permai, Bukit Mertajam, she had severe injuries on her head and face, and infected wounds on her hands and legs.
Her plight came to light after a police report was lodged by an aide to the Bukit Mertajam member of parliament
MALAYMAIL ONLINE
KUALA LUMPUR, Feb 11 — An Indonesian domestic worker, who was allegedly abused by her employers in Penang and forced to sleep at their car porch with their pet dog for a month, died today.
Migrant rights group Tenaganita said the 21-year-old woman named Adelina, who was rescued by police and sent to hospital yesterday after Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim’s office lodged a report, died at 4.30pm at Bukit Mertajam Hospital.
“There is going to be a post mortem. We’ll determine the cause of death,” Tenaganita volunteer Sally Alexander told Malay Mail.
“She was very fearful to say what had happened to her. We were hoping that in time, she would be able to open up. But she was very scared and very fearful and very reluctant to talk,” she added.
Sim’s office had contacted Tenaganita yesterday for help.
The DAP MP’s office said upon visiting Adelina’s employer’s home in Medan Kota Permai 2 yesterday after getting a tip-off from the public, they saw that the young woman had wounds on her arms and legs and bruises on her face.
According to Sim’s staff, Adelina’s employer claimed the domestic worker had defecated in the kitchen’s drainage hole and caused it to clog. So the female employer bought a strong chemical for Adelina to pour into the clogged hole.
“The maid accidentally spilled the chemical on her own legs and arms, and caused chemical burn.
“The employer’s daughter said that they bought iodine and medicine for the maid to apply on her wound. She also claimed that the maid did not stop agitating her wound and caused the wound to worsen,” Sim’s office said in a statement.
They said Adelina’s employer claimed that she had been sleeping at their car porch with the dog for one month, but neighbours told them it had been more than a month.
Sim’s office also said Adelina’s employer’s daughter denied that her family had abused the domestic worker.
“She reiterated that they did not mistreat the maid, but she admitted that she had previously slapped the maid at least once or twice.”
Sim posted on Facebook: “Tenaganita volunteers were with her when she lost consciousness at the hospital just now before she passed away. It was the final glimpse of humanity we can at least show to her.”
BH Online reported Seberang Perai Tengah district police chief Assistant Commissioner Nik Ros Azhan Nik Ab Hamid as saying that two siblings aged 36 and 39 have been arrested for murder.
Read more at http://www.themalaymailonline.com/malaysia/article/domestic-worker-forced-to-sleep-outside-with-dog-dies#ZF7u0cy976dhclYZ.99
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