Three Indonesians who claimed to have endured slave-like conditions at a food-catering business in Sungai Siput, Perak, have managed to escape the clutches of their employer.

three indonesian maid abused ipoh 030609 police report Their allegations against him ranged from rape and physical abuse to denial of their salaries and basic rights.

They had been working at the food outlet for between a year and two years.

At 6am yesterday, they escaped with the help of fellow-workers and made their way to Ipoh where they approached DAP Buntong assemblyperson A Sivasubramaniam for help.

He took them to the Buntong police station where they lodged separate reports against their employer.

In her report, Atik Kusiati, 26, said she had recently been raped by her employer and that she had endured physical abuse during her two years of service.

three indonesian maid abused ipoh 030609 black eye “I was tortured by my boss and punched in the face,” she said.

She pointed to her swollen eye and also claimed to have sustained injuries to her head.

Similar stories of physical abuse were narrated by the other two, Majayeni (only single name available) and Firawati Iswahyu Ningdiyah, both 23.

“Once, my boss nearly choked me to death,” said Majayeni, who revealed she has not been paid her monthly salary of RM400 for 18 months.

Firawati, who worked for one year at the catering centre, said her employer had “made sexual advances after raping Atik”.

They also claimed that, at times, the employer had threatened them with a knife if they failed to perform their daily duties satisfactorily.

'Passports withheld'

Apart from being forced to work daily from 7am to midnight, the trio said they were occasionally sent to work in neighbouring houses. The money went to their employer.

They claimed that he is holding their work documents and passports to prevent them from running away.

Sivasubramiam requested the Buntong police to hand them over to the Immigration Department and to act on the complaints against their employer.

He said Atik has since been sent to Ipoh Hospital for a medical examination, while the other two are now with the Immigration Department.

In the latest development, the employer has turned himself in at the Sungai Siput police station this afternoon.