PETALING JAYA: Indonesian authorities will be looking to prosecute the parties that sent an Indonesian woman to Malaysia illegally, where she was forced to work 16 hours a day at various homes without pay.
Speaking to FMT, Indonesian ambassador Hermono said the woman was also forced to eat non-halal meat and not allowed to pray or fast.
The Negeri Sembilan labour department rescued the woman at a house in Port Dickson on Monday following a complaint from the Indonesian embassy in Kuala Lumpur.
The 40-year-old woman is waiting to be deported.
“We hope she can be sent back to Indonesia as soon as possible as a victim of trafficking, and we will prosecute the trafficker in Indonesia,” said Hermono.
“The embassy received a complaint from her through our hotline on March 28, and after gathering information on her whereabouts, we contacted the Negeri Sembilan labour department to follow up.
“We’ve had similar cases like this in the past where domestic workers are illegally employed as cleaners.
“Many of these businesses are run by individuals, and not companies offering cleaning services.”
He said many cleaners were undocumented and recruited through social media.
Hermono, who said he was grateful to the Negeri Sembilan labour department for its swift response, said he was “angered” by reports that the woman was forced to eat non-halal meat and was not allowed to pray or fast.
“This is totally unacceptable,” he said.
Labour department director Roslan Bahari told Bernama the woman worked at the house for the past six months and was not paid her salaries for November and December, which were considered as reimbursement for the cost of bringing her into the country.
Roslan said the woman also claimed she had to work not only at her employer’s home, but also at nearby houses. Her passport was kept by her employer.
The 47-year-old employer has been called to assist in an investigation under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act (Atipsom) 2007 (Amendment 2022).
The woman is being housed at a shelter in Kuala Lumpur while waiting for deportation. Although Hermono had yet to meet with her, he said he would not be surprised if she wanted to return to Indonesia instead of staying in Malaysia and working legally.
“We haven’t met with her, but based on our experience, those who have had a bad experience will want to go home,” he said.
“They don’t want a second nightmare.” - FMT
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