Woman rescued after being forced to work 3 years without pay in Perak

 

An Indonesian migrant worker abused by her employer was rescued by authorities after she reportedly was owed three years worth of salary totalling approximately RM 25,000 between 2018 and 2021, on top of receiving various abuses from the employer.

The Human Resources Ministry said a joint rescue operation by authorities was carried out on Thursday in Ayer Tawar, Perak to rescue the victim.

“The employer/suspect also exploited the victim by threatening her as she was not a documented worker and oftentimes scolded her if she wanted to go back to her country.

“The victim was also physically attacked where she was kicked in the face after she asked for the owed salary,” Human Resources Ministry said in a statement today.

The ministry said the rescue operation began after they received a complaint from the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur on Sept 20.

Intelligence was gathered on Sept 20 to 21, which indicated the victim was located in a secluded area far away from other settlements in Ayer Tawar, Perak.

A rescue operation was then launched on the morning of Sept 23, led by the Department of Labour headquarters and its Perak division, with the help of the anti-trafficking task force (Mapo) and police from IPD Manjung.

Malaysiakini understands that no arrest was made during the operations.

Arrived with legal work permit

When contacted, a Labour Department source from Putrajaya confirmed that the employer would be summoned to its Perak office to record a statement as part of its ongoing probe.

The ministry added the victim confirmed she came to Malaysia under a legal work permit as a domestic worker in June 2003 through a known agent.

“After obtaining her job, her salary was cut four times, amounting to RM350 a month as a payment cost to the agent.

“But the victim has no knowledge of this as she left all the matters to the agent and she admitted there was no written contract agreement of any kind regarding her salary payment process, including the payment to the agent,” the ministry said.

Furthermore, it said the woman’s legal work permit ended on June 2020, hence she was classified as forced labour as she was working without pay, denied return to her home country, and was abused.

The traumatised victim was placed in a safe house in Damansara after she was given an Interim Protection Order (IPO) by the Manjung Magistrate Court on the same day she was rescued, according to the ministry.

Last July, a similar rescue operation was conducted in Taiping, Perak, to rescue a domestic helper after she was physically abused, on top of her salary being withheld by her employer.

No arrest was made in that case as well.  - Mkini