Indonesia urges Malaysia to bring violent employers to justice

Indonesian government urged Malaysia to undertake legal proceedings against violent employers who abused and tortured Indonesian maids to death, Indonesian foreign affairs ministry spokesperson Teuku Faizasyah said here on Friday.

"In terms of political pressure, Indonesia has reminded several times to the Malaysian government on the need to bring violent employers to justice so as to give deterrent impact for Malaysian employers and ending the violence against Indonesian workers in Malaysia," Teuku said in a press briefing in the ministry's premises.

A 39-year-old Indonesian maid, namely Munti, was abused, tortured and beaten to death by her employer in Selangor state, Malaysia on Oct. 26 after being treated in a local hospital. Earlier reports said that many Indonesian migrant workers in Malaysia suffered from inappropriate treatment from their employers, ending up in permanent physical defect or even death.

Teuku said that providing protection for Indonesia's migrant workers was one of the targets set during the first 100 days of President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono's second term government.

He said that the efforts to provide protection for Indonesian migrant workers would initially be conducted in frame of cooperation among ASEAN countries.