Malaysia: 105 female maids rescued from captivity
Malaysian authorities have freed 105 female domestic workers, mostly Indonesians, who were forced to work unpaid during the day and imprisoned at night.
According to AFP news agency on December 3, 95 Indonesian, 6 Filipino and 4 Cambodian maids were freed by police during a raid on a maid placement center in Selangor state, near the capital Kuala Lumpur. These women had only arrived in Malaysia a few months ago to visit relatives, so they were not legally allowed to work in Malaysia.
Malaysian police rescue captive maid - Photo: The Star
Sengalor Immigration Department Director Amran Ahmad said every morning they were taken to houses in the work area and at night they were locked up at the center's headquarters.
The Star newspaper reported that the women had not been paid since they started working. Some said the center had taken the equivalent of seven months’ salary, or $230 per month, as a fee for working in Malaysia. The center also restricted their daily food rations.
Twelve people have been arrested, including three Malaysian men who worked at the centre and nine foreigners who supervised the groups of domestic workers. If convicted, the maximum penalty is 15 years in prison.
More than 100 of these women have been temporarily housed at a safety center, awaiting repatriation.
Malaysia has one of the highest standards of living in Southeast Asia, making it a magnet for women from Indonesia, the Philippines and Cambodia to work as domestic helpers.
The Indonesian government banned sending women to Malaysia to work as domestic workers three years ago, following a series of abuses. In late 2011, Indonesia announced it would lift the ban after the two countries agreed to better protect domestic workers.
However, a series of recent incidents may make Jakarta reconsider. In October, an advertisement for “discounted” Indonesian maids spread online, causing a wave of protests in Indonesia. In November, two Indonesian maids were raped.
According to Tuoi Tre - DT