A Malaysian woman was charged Wednesday with the murder of an Indonesian maid who was found with wounds covering her body and was allegedly forced to sleep outside with a dog.
M. A. Ambika, 60, will be sentenced to death if found guilty of murdering Adelina Sau, in a case that has sparked new tensions between Jakarta and Kuala Lumpur over a long-standing flashpoint issue.
About 2.5 million Indonesians work in neighboring Malaysia — both legally and illegally — including many as maids, but there have been repeated cases of abuse of domestic helpers over the years.
The victim, in her 20s, died at a Malaysian hospital this month, a day after being rescued by a migrant workers’ protection group.
Her head and face were swollen and she had wounds on her hands and legs. A Malaysian lawmaker said she had been forced to sleep on a porch next to a dog.
Ambika was charged during an appearance at the magistrate’s court in the northern town of Bukit Mertajam with the murder of the maid at her home on February 10, state news agency Bernama reported.
She did not enter a plea, the agency said. A murder conviction carries a mandatory death sentence in Malaysia.
Her daughter, R. Jayavartiny, 32, was charged with employing the victim despite being aware she did not have a valid work permit. She denied the charge.
Local media reported Ambika’s son, who was also initially arrested after the helper’s death, will appear as a witness in the case.
Two people have also been arrested in Indonesia on human trafficking charges in connection with the death of the maid, with police alleging they used forged documents to send the victim to Malaysia.
Indonesia is reportedly considering reinstating a ban on sending maids to Malaysiafollowing the case. Jakarta last imposed a ban in 2009 to 2011.
Malaysia’s Deputy Prime Minister Ahmad Zahid Hamidi has urged Jakarta not to go ahead with the ban, insisting recently employers who abuse maids will be brought to justice.
“The Malaysian government will never protect any employer who is found to have acted cruelly,” he said.
