Malaysian Couple Arrested for Maid Abuse

Maid abuse is very common in many countries where foreign workers are hired to help in dosmetic chores like cleaning, cooking and looking after the children while the parents are away. Abuse is a frequent problem. See the article below to read about another abuse case. For every abuse case reported, many more go unnoticed.

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KUALA LUMPUR (AFP) - – A Malaysian couple have been arrested for allegedly severely beating their Indonesian maid and leaving her bound and locked up in a toilet for two nights, police said Thursday.

Indonesia has put a ban on sending domestic workers to Malaysia while the neighbours attempt to negotiate a deal on salaries and conditions, aimed at ending a string of appalling abuse cases.

In the latest incident, a market vendor and his wife are accused of viciously beating their 36-year-old maid Mautik Hani, from Surabaya in Indonesia, who was found locked up in their house.

District police chief Mohamad Mat Yusop said the man, aged in his 30s, surrendered to police on Wednesday while his 29-year-old wife was arrested on Tuesday.

Newspaper reports have said that Hani was found, tied up around her hands and legs, by another Indonesian cleaner hired to replace her. She had noticed a foul smell coming from a locked bathroom.

"When she was found, she was in the toilet at the back of the house. Her left eye was swollen, her right leg had a big wound that exposed the bone, and she had bruises all over her body," Mohamad told AFP.

He said she was still being treated in hospital for her injuries.

The New Straits Times said that Hani had been abused by her employers almost daily during the two months she worked at their home.

Malaysia -- one of Asia's largest importers of labour -- depends heavily on domestic workers, mainly from Indonesia, but has no laws governing their working conditions.

The government in May announced plans for new laws to protect domestic workers from sexual harassment, non-payment of wages and poor working conditions.

Currently Indonesian maids typically work seven days a week for as little as 400 ringgit (113 dollars).

Johor Will Not Reopen Old CIQ

JOHOR BARU - THE government has decided not to re-open the old Customs, Immigration and Quarantine Complex to pedestrians.

The decision was made following a three-month study which showed that it would not be cost effective to build a new complex and house security personnel to handle fewer than 1,000 people.

Home Ministry secretary-general Datuk Mahmud Adam said the matter was now a non-issue as it would cost between RM5mil (S$2.05 million) and RM7mil to operate at the old site.

Datuk Mahmud said fewer than 1,000 people walked across the Causeway and it would not be cost effective to operate there.

He added that most people used the new complex in Bukit Chagar.

He said all the old buildings had also been demolished and work on the new Medium Term Link was underway.

Anwar Ibrahim Update

Anwar Bid for Power Boosted by Election Win. Malaysian Opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim won the by-election of Permatang Puah by a landslide. Despite his triumphant victory, Anwar faces another hurdle to clear his name of sodomy allegations by his 23 year-old aide. Anwar had previously spent 6 years in jail for sodomy charges which were later overturned.

Anwar ready to unseat Government. Opposition leader Anwar said on Saturday that he is on track on the mid-September deadline to get enough members of parliament to defect to topple the government. Anwar needs at least 30 members from the ruling Barisan National govenment to unseat the government of Prime Minister Abdulla Badawi.

Doctor stands by claim that no evidence of alleged rape. The doctor who examined the man accusing Malaysian opposition leader Anwar Ibrahim stood by his claim on Thursday that there was no evidence of the alleged rape. Anwar has said Mohamed Osman's findings prove that the accusation was false, though hospital authorities claim that the doctor was not qualified to make any conclusions on sodomy.

Mahathir's son to Contest for top party post. Amidst threats of an opposition takeover, a son of ex PM Mahathir, Mukhriz Mahathir, announced his candidacy for youth chief of the United Malays National Organisation (UMNO), which has led the country's ruling coalition since independence.