Police: maids were not abused to death

Police have denied a recent press report that three Cambodian housemaids in Malaysia died after being abused.

Bukit Aman Criminal Investigation Department (CID) director Mohd Bakri Zinin clarified that throughout 2004 to date, only two deaths involving workers from that country had been reported.

“The first case was a factory worker in his 20’s who was killed by his female Cambodian companion on May 13, 2004 in Ulu Tiram, Johor.

“The second case also involved a male factory worker who was murdered by his countryman in September, 2009 in Seberang Perai Selatan, Penang,” he told reporters at Bukit Aman yesterday.

He was commenting on a press report which said that three Cambodian housemaids died after being abused within a week, which prompted the country’s Prime Minister, Hun Sen to issue an order last Friday against sending maids to Malaysia.

Mohd Bakri said throughout 2009 until September this year, only nine cases  of abuse were reported and three of the cases had been solved.

In the same period, 37 rape cases were recorded involving 29 housemaids and the rest in other employment.

“We have never received reports from any quarters, whether from friends or family members of the victims, or from Cambodian government representatives on abuse cases involving housemaids that had resulted in death.

“Police have never taken cases involving foreigners lightly, and investigations are done accordingly to bring the suspects to justice through a special unit, D11 (Sexual/Domestic Violence/Abuse of Children Investigation
Division),” he stressed.

Mohd Bakri said police, meanwhile, were still trying to track down the masterminds of the Ugandan women trafficking syndicate, which was busted in an operation at Sunway Mentari Court, Bandar Sunway, last Friday.

He said police were confident the main culprit, a Ugandan, was still in the Klang Valley.

“Other cases can be traced to him. We are in the midst of obtaining information, including from the prostitution premises owner,” he said.

In the operation, police rescued 21 Ugandan women aged between 19 and 42 who were forced into prostitution. Police also detained two Ugandan female pimps and a male customer, also a Ugandan.

The victims were duped into believing they would be employed as housemaids with an attractive salary in Malaysia.

– Bernama