Immediate protection measures needed

Unique structure: Domestic work is different from regular jobs because the work in private homes is not subject to inspections.

LAST month, the police rescued a Cambodian woman in her 30s from a home in Bukit Mertajam. Found lying on the floor in one of the rooms in the house, the unnamed domestic worker said she was beaten, pinched and doused with hot water by her employers. A physical examination revealed injuries on her face, burn marks on her arm, as well as scars and scratches on her arms and legs.

While most Malaysian employers are fair, with some treating their domestic worker as part of the family, there are a few who mistreat them. The Cambodian worker’s case is only one of such cases we have read about in recent years.