Kuala Lumpur, Feb. 14 (TNS): A domestic worker in Malaysia has died after suspected abuse by her employer, including being made to “sleep outside with the dog,” a politician has said.
The maid, known only as Adelina, who may be a victim of human trafficking, came from Indonesia and worked for a family in Penang.
Her employers are accused of not feeding Adelina and allowing her wounds to go untreated.
Adelina was rescued on 10 February after a neighbour reported her situation to politician Steven Sim.
She was admitted to hospital on Sunday, where she later died.
A 36-year-old woman and her brother are now under investigation for suspected murder, police told Malaysian state news agency Bernama.
Their 60-year-old mother has also been detained in police custody.
“Adelina’s death and treatment made Malaysians very angry,” Mr Sim told BBC Indonesia.
Mr Sim went to the employer’s home on Saturday to investigate.
“Adelina’s condition was weak and she had severe injuries on her hand. She said that for the last month she was forced to sleep outside with her employer’s dog, not fed and subjected to persecution,” he said.
There has been no final conclusion about the cause of Adelina’s death, but possible untreated animal bites, malnutrition are amongst the possible causes, according to Lalu Muhammad Iqbal, director of the Protection of Indonesian Citizens and Legal Entities department at the Ministry of Foreign Affairs.
It is understood Adelina had wounds that had not been treated and had become infected, leading to organ failure in her body.
BBC Indonesia contacted Malaysia’s Human Resources Ministry about the case but was told a statement would not be issued while the police investigation was underway.
Indonesian foreign minister Retno Marsudi said she wanted justice for Adelina.
“The Indonesian Consulate General will provide legal assistance to ensure that the victim’s rights are fulfilled, particularly the rights to obtain compensation or remedial justice,” Ms Marsudi told local news outlet The Star.
Malaysia is one of the largest importers of labour in Asia, where migrant workers provide cheap labour.
There are approximately 2.5 million Indonesians employed in Malaysia and half of them are working illegally, according to Mr Iqbal.
Other domestic workers come from Myanmar, the Philippines, Vietnam, Bangladesh, Laos, Cambodia, Sri Lanka and Thailand.
