PETALING JAYA | Police have rescued 35 foreign maids who had been held against their will in Melaka and Selangor.
Bukit Aman CID chief Huzir Mohamed said a Cambodian woman and 32 Indonesians were rescued in Melaka Tengah, while two Indonesian women were rescued in Selangor.
The victims, aged between 18 and 40, had been working as home cleaners with a cleaning service agency in Melaka since 2018.
They had each been offered a salary of RM900 to RM1,200 a month but did not receive the salary they had been promised, Huzir said.
“They were kept locked up at home with their movements under tight control. They were also not allowed to use their mobile phones.
“All the victims rescued have been placed at a safe home in the meantime,” Huzir said in a statement today.
In the raids, the cops detained three Malaysian women, aged between 33 and 42, believed to be the employers, to assist in investigations. A Malaysian man in his 40s was also detained.
The three women will face 35 charges under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act. If found guilty, they could face a maximum jail sentence of 15 years and a fine.
The Malaysian man, who was an accomplice, will also be charged under the same law.
“In total, there are 70 charges that will be brought against the four detained. All of them will be charged at the Melaka Tengah Sessions Court tomorrow (Dec 21),” said Huzir.
