Malaysian woman acquitted of killing Indonesian maid amid domestic worker protection debate

Malaysian acquitted of killing Indonesian maid

KUALA LUMPUR, Malaysia — A court acquitted a Malaysian woman of killing her Indonesian housemaid, her lawyer said Thursday, in a case that highlighted complaints about the abuse of foreign domestic workers.

Chen Pei Ee was charged in 2007 with the murder of Kunarsih, who was found dead with bruises on her body in a room in Chen’s home in August that year. Police said the 24-year-old maid, who had been working for Chen for four months, died of internal bleeding.

A High Court judge in central Selangor state acquitted Chen on Wednesday because there was insufficient evidence to link her to Kunarsih’s death, said Chen’s lawyer, Gooi Soon Seng. Many Indonesians use only one name.

Irene Fernandez, director of Malaysian-based workers’ rights group Tenaganita, said the outcome was “very, very worrying” because it meant nobody would be punished for Kunarsih’s death.

“Definitely this is a real major concern, particularly to domestic workers. The reason being, they are so isolated,” Fernandez said.

Accusations of maid abuse have occasionally strained relations between Indonesia and Malaysia, which employs some 230,000 maids from its relatively poorer neighbor.

Indonesia last year stopped sending new maids to Malaysia after several high-profile cases of maids being beaten or even found dead. The freeze is expected to end later this year after both countries complete an agreement to beef up legal protection for housemaids and improve their welfare, such as by giving them a day off per week.