MAID WHO TRIED TO POISON EMPLOYER SENTENCED FOR 6 YEARS
KUANTAN, Malaysia - An Indonesian maid was sentenced to six years’ jail by the Sessions Court here yesterday for attempting to murder her employer about a year ago.
Source: Bernama
- Nurhayati Ahmad, 22, from Lombok, Indonesia, pleaded guilty to the offence by poisoning Jaharah Daud, 77, at 6 Lorong I/M 5/14, Bandar Indera Mahkota, here, at about 1.30pm on July 16, 2008.
- Judge Siti Aminah Ghazali ordered Nurhayati to serve the sentence from the date of her arrest on July 16, 2008.
- According to the facts of the case, Jaharah had drank coffee prepared by Nurhayati and complained that the drink tasted bitter.
- It also had a certain smell and turned grey.
- Her daughter, suspecting something amiss, then checked a vegetable soup dish prepared by the maid and found that it had the same odour.
- Suspecting that the drink and soup had been mixed with poison, she lodged a police report.
- The police then went to the house and found two bottles containing poison, one on a sink and the other in a cupboard in the kitchen.
- Jaharah was later sent to the Tengku Ampuan Afzan Hospital in Kuantan for treatment.
- She was placed under observation pending a chemist’s report which confirmed that she had been poisoned.
- In mitigation, defence counsel Mohd Fadly Hashim said Nurhayati was an orphan and had to support eight siblings.
- Deputy public prosecutor Mahadi Abdul Jumaat prosecuted.
INDONESIA BAN ITS MAIDS FROM COMING TO WORK IN MALAYSIA
MALAYSIA said on Monday that Indonesia's 'emotional' decision to ban its nationals from coming here to work as domestic helpers was linked to the upcoming presidential elections.
- Angry over the latest case of maid abuse, Indonesia last week said it would stop sending domestic helpers to Malaysia at least until a mid-July meeting in Kuala Lumpur to discuss a new migrant worker agreement.
- Malaysian Human Resources Minister S. Subramaniam said the abuse cases had become an issue in Indonesia due to the upcoming July 8 presidential elections, which president Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono is tipped to win.
- 'They are facing an election so some issues like this become very emotional at this time. After the elections, things might change,' Mr Subramaniam told AFP.
- 'But if this ban continues, we will have to look at other markets,' he said, adding that the government is recruiting maids from other countries, including Muslims from the southern Philip
pines. - A group representing maid agencies has reportedly said that between 50,000 and 60,000 Filipino Muslim maids could be hired to fill the void following Indonesia's temporary ban.
- 'We welcome the Muslim Filipino maids,' Mr Subramaniam said.
- 'Filipino maids can come here according to the terms and conditions which their country has already signed with us, so whether it is Muslim or Christian, they can be hired to fill any gaps.'
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