Abused maid's story may bring protection for foreign domestic help
200,000 foreign workers vulnerable
Kuala Lumpur (AsiaNews) When 19-year-old Nirmala Bonet came to work as a maid in a family home in Kuala Lumpur last September, she hoped to earn enough money to send home to her farming parents in Indonesia. But after five months of horrific abuse, the young woman received more scars and burns than cash for her service. Her escape to the Indonesian embassy last week sparked public outcry of her abuse, which may bring about new Malaysian laws to protect the country's 200,000 foreign domestic workers.
Nearly every day for five months, Nirmala was beaten, burnt with a hot iron, or scalded with boiling water at the hands of her employer's 35-year-old wife, Yim Pek Ha, the mother of four young children. "Before she started to beat me, she would close all the doors and windows. I screamed, but nobody heard nobody came to help me." Nirmala explained from Kuala Lumpur's Indonesian Embassy, where she has taken refuge and is receiving medical treatment.
Pictures of her severely scalded face and upper body have drawn the sympathy and donations of many who were moved by her traumatic ordeal. Streams of celebrities, politicians, and journalists have visited Nirmala at the Embassy. Malaysians have donated M 170,000 (nearly 45,000 US dollars). Cash and cheques continue to pour in from abroad, while people from Europe, Hong Kong, Japan, and Brunei have contacted the Embassy eager to make a donation.
The Malaysian Cabinet is discussing now how to enforce new measures that will protect the thousands of foreign maids working in the country. Human Resources Minister Fong Chan Onn said that these new measures include compulsory training for employers on employee relations, and the legal rights of maids. Employers will also have to prove their mental soundness, Mr. Fong explained. Further, "We want to set up a mechanism where maids are in constant touch with their agency, family and friends so they can report abuse and other problems they face," he stated, saying that agencies should contact their maids at least once a week to ensure their safety.
Jeffrey Foo, president of the Malaysia Maid Employers' Association, said that the Bonet case was "rare, unfortunate, and completely deplorable". According to him, 99 percent of maids work in "safe conditions".
Human rights activists caution that the good intentions of the government to protect foreign domestic workers may subside when the public outcry of Nirmala's abuse dies down. Effective enforcement of the proposed laws will be key, they've said, but with most maids' employers being wealthy and well-connected families, enforcement may be unlikely. "The problem is systematic and requires major changes in law, procedures and strict, unrelenting and honest enforcement," stated Eric Paulsen, an activist of Suaram, a leading human rights group.
Since the Nirmala's story became public, two other maids have come forward with their own abuse stories.
Yim Pek Ha was arrested and faces up to 20 years in prison for each of the four counts of causing grievous hurt she is charged with. The trial is fixed for July 26th.
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07/02/2019 17:28
19/08/2004
