Malaysia (see also Brunei, Indonesia, Philippines, Australia)

Employer charged for death of Indonesian domestic worker

A Malaysian woman, Cheng Pei Ee, 29, has been charged with murdering her Indonesian domestic worker, Kunarsih, 24.  Kunarsih's bruised body was found on 14 August. If found guilty, Cheng could face the death penalty. Her husband Goo Eng Keng, 34, was accused of trying to cover up the crime, but was freed upon posting a 9,000-ringgit bail. Close to 300,000 Indonesian domestic workers are employed in the country, according to the Indonesian Embassy. Tatang Razak, an Indonesian Embassy official, said there were currently 15 former domestic workers at an embassy shelter. A.M. Fachir, the Indonesian deputy chief of mission, called on the Malaysian government to take immediate action on the case.

148 abused Indonesians rescued

Tenaganita has rescued 148 abused Indonesian domestic workers in the Klang Valley after receiving more than 200 calls through its Domestic Workers (DW) Action Line. Program coordinator Aegile Fernandez discovered more than 1,050 human rights violations, with non-payment of wages and physical abuse as the most common violations. According to her, Malaysia has the largest number of domestic workers in Asia, with more than 400,000 registered. Of them, some 90 percent or 360,000 were Indonesian.

Mandatory insurance for foreign domestic workers

The issue of mandatory insurance for foreign domestic workers will be discussed at the next Cabinet meeting. The Malaysian Association of Foreign Housemaids Agencies earlier announced that that domestic workers hired through its member agencies will be automatically insured. Home Affairs Minister Datuk Seri Radzi Sheikh Ahmad urged the association to get all the placement agencies under its umbrella. He added that the ministry will recognize its members.

Indonesian workers accused of abusing ward, theft

An Indonesian domestic worker, 32, is accused of abusing an 11-month-old infant, Mohd Naim Alma Zaadi. The infant was hospitalized at the Subang Jaya Medical Center and died after five days.

In another case, Rini Setyowati, 23, was charged with stealing her employer's bag, cash, cellular phone and jewelry worth a total of RM 2,500. She was found guilty.

Employer, migrants face immigration charges

The Session Court sentenced on 23 August a coffee shop proprietor, Hon Kat Shing, 44, to two months in jail and fined him RM 25,000 in default of nine months' jail for employing two irregular migrants. The migrants were arrested during a raid on the coffee shop on 1 November 2006. Meanwhile, the Magistrate's Court sentenced an Indonesian laborer, Yohana Banne, 45, to four months' imprisonment for having a fake Identity Card (IC) on 23 August. A 57-year-old Indonesian, Khidzir Borhan, is also accused of having a fake MyKad.

Bangladeshi workers files complaint vs. recruiting agencies

At least 58 Bangladeshi workers have been living under appalling conditions in Malaysia for the last one and a half months because their Malaysian employer refused to employ them. Mohammad Anis, one of the workers, said two recruiting agencies in Bangladesh – Akbar Enterprise and Enam International  – sent 70 workers to Malaysia, assuring them of jobs in an electronics factory at Johor Baru. However, only six of them were employed in a wood-cutting mill in Kuala Lumpur. Six others managed to escape, whereas the rest have been left unemployed. He said they filed a complaint against K-Poly Recycling Industries and sent a copy to Bangladesh High Commission in Kuala Lumpur. They paid around Tk2 to 2.5 lakh each to come to Malaysia.

Abused Indian seeks CAP's help

An Indian, P. Vijaragu, 21, sought the help of the Consumers Association of Penang (CAP), claiming he was maltreated while working at a restaurant in Butterworth. He was asked to work for his employer's brother after the restaurant went bankrupt in January. He alleged that the brother was very rude to him and he was scalded with hot oil all over his body.

Irregular migrants, overstaying foreign visitors

Immigration enforcement director Datuk Ishak Mohamed said some 11,383 irregular migrants were prosecuted in court in the first seven months of this year and 1,976 cases were still pending.  Rela has conducted checks on 124,114 immigrants in the first eight months and some 24,231 were detained.

Some 25,400 foreign visitors failed to return to their home countries. Of them, about 14,000 have been identified as Indian tourists.

8 forgers arrested

Eight foreigners, who are experts in forging Mykad, passport and work permits, have been arrested in an operation carried out by Sentul police. The syndicate had been selling forged documents for up to RM 150 each to foreigners for the last two years.

Thai vessel caught; Indonesian sailors freed

Nine crew members of a Thai vessel were apprehended on 21 August for fishing illegally in Malaysian waters. In another case, pirates freed two Indonesian sailors kidnapped early in August in the Malacca Strait. An international maritime watchdog said an undisclosed ransom was paid.

Runaway Vietnamese wife?

Van driver Yoon Chee Weng, 45, ended up spending RM 25,000 for his runaway Vietnamese wife, Tran Thi Cam Huang, 30. Yoon paid a match-making agency RM16,300 to meet her. They got married on 20 November. Complaining of loss of appetite and feeling unwell a week later, she asked him for a few thousand ringgits to return home to pray for the death of a monk who used to look after her. Yoon did not give her the money because medical check-ups at the Ipoh Hospital found that she did not have any health problem. She again asked for money and a plane ticket during Chinese New Year so that she could return home to take care of her mother. He transferred RM1,750 to her mother's bank account, but she claimed her mother did not receive it. Yoon allowed her to be with her mother in Vietnam for a month and gave her RM 3,500. He has heard from her since.      

Aceh refugees required to renew visas

Starting on 27 August, some 27,000 Aceh refugees need to renew their visas within a month. Immigration Department director-general Datuk Wahid Md Don said the visa extension was announced following the government's decision to allow Acehnese who fled the tsunami two years ago to stay for another year. He said the extension was made on humanitarian grounds since many tsunami victims were reluctant to return to Aceh because of lack of job opportunities.

Sources: "Tenaganita rescues 148 abused maids," The Star, 16 August 2007; AP, "Indonesia maid tortured to death," The Standard, 17 August 2007; "Indian citizen claims he was abused at work," The Star, 17 August 2007; "Malaysian court fines Pinay for threatening condo manager," GMANews.TV, 17 August 2007;  "27,000 Aceh refugees must renew visas by sep 27," Bernama.com, 20 August 2007; "Maid charged with stealing from employer," The Star, 21 August 2007; "Take steps to protect migrant workers' rights, AIPA members told," Bernama.com, 21 August 2007; Rashitha A. Hamid, "Eight held for forging papers," The Star, 22 August 2007; AFP, "Indonesia demands action over abused maids in Malaysia," channelnewsasia.com, 22 August 2007; "Cheated workers struggle to survive," The Daily Star, 22 August 2007; "Illegals: S'kan shop operator is jailed, fined," Daily Express, 24 August 2007; Royce Cheah, "Cabinet to discuss mandatory insurance for maids," The Star, 25 August 2007; PTI, "14,000 Indians untraceable in Malaysia after expiry of visa," Hindustan Times, 27 August 2007; AFP, "Pirates free two abducted Indonesian sailors," The China Post, 28 August 2007; "One maid murdered, another faces murder charge," The New Strait Times, 28 August 2007; Clara Chooi, "Mail-order bride leaves man RM 25,000 poorer," The Star, 29 August 2007; AP "Malaysian couple charged in murder of Indonesian maid," The Jakarta Post, 29 August 2007; AFP, "Malaysian woman charged with maid murder: reports," Today Online, 30 August 2007