Malaysia couple sentenced to death for starving maid

Couple Sentenced to Death for Starving Maid to Death

Kuala Lumpur, Malaysia – Unless their sentence is turned on appeal, Fong Kong Meng, age 58, and this wife Teoh Ching Yen, age 56, will be executed for the death of their maid of three years Isti Komariyah, age 26.

The victim weighed only 26 kg (~57 lbs) at the time of her death. Komariyah’s tragic death underscored a known problem in both Malaysia and Indonesia regarding the treatment of house servants.

Judge Noor Azian Shaari said Fong Kong Meng, 58, and his wife Teoh Ching Yen, 56, consistently withheld food from the woman during the three years she worked for them.

“She was 26 and weighed barely 26kg when she was taken to the University Malaya Medical Centre with bruises and scratch marks on her back, arms and forehead,” the Star newspaper reported.

It is common practice for foreign workers to hire themselves out as domestic help. However, they are often abused by working long periods of time without a single day off. Their employers often confiscate their passports as a way to quasi-confine them to the residence without the ability to leave their employer, and some are abused.

The incident came to light when Men & Yen arrived with their maid at the hospital. By that time, there wasn’t anything hospital physicians could do except declare Komariyah dead. Ultimately, what swayed the court impose a death sentence was that fact that during the trial the defense did not dispute that Komariyah’s death was the result of starvation which occurred during employment by the defendants. The verdict was handed in Thursday.

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Source:
Married Malaysian couple sentenced to hang after they starved their maid to death
http://www.dailymail.co.uk/news/article-2575360/Horrid-Malaysian-couple-sentenced-death-starving-maid-home-weighed-just-26-kilos.html