KUALA LUMPUR: The Malaysian government will not tolerate the abuse of foreign maids, said Human Resources Minister Datuk Dr S. Subramaniam following the recent death of an Indonesian maid.
“We will do everything we can to support the authorities as they take legal action against those involved,” he said in a statement here yesterday.
He said no abuse involving maids would be tolerated, adding that the ministry would ensure the safety and health of workers and uphold social justice in Malaysia.
“The workplace rights and protections provided to our citizens are equally important to foreign workers in Malaysia, including those from Indonesia,” Dr Subramaniam said,
His statement comes in the wake of the death of Mantik Hani, 36, from Surabaya, who was purportedly abused by her employer.
Dr Subramaniam said the Malaysia-Indonesia Joint Committee on the employment of maids had held two meetings recently, and the next one was scheduled for next month.
Jakarta had frozen the recruitment of maids from Indonesia pending the outcome of the joint-committee meeting. However, Indonesia has given the assurance that agencies which had received payments from Malaysian employers would be allowed to bring in maids.
Meanwhile, Foreign Minister Datuk Seri Anifah Aman sent the government’s condolences to Mantik’s family.
“The Malaysian government strongly condemns any form of abuse of workers, regardless of nationality or job sector,” he said in a statement.
Anifah said police would investigate immediately cases of abuse of workers, so that a fitting penalty would be imposed on convicted offenders.
Mantik, 36, died at the Tengku Ampuan Rahimah Hospital in Klang where she was admitted last Tuesday.
Hospital director Dr Ghazali Hasni Md Hassan said Mantik did not respond to treatment administered by specialists.
Mantik’s male employer surrendered to the police a day after she was found and has been remanded until Oct 28, while his wife was remanded until yesterday to help in the investigation.
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