The abuse of foreign domestic workers has not ceased despite the publicity given to these cases as evident by the plight of the latest migrant worker referred to the Women's Aid Organisation.

WAO social worker Shoba Aiyar said today the organisation receives an average of four calls per month related to cases of foreign domestic workers being abused.

The latest involved a 20-year-old Indonesian woman who allegedly suffered various forms of abuse, including being made to eat faeces and cockroaches, during the eight months she spent working in Malaysia.

"We thought that after we highlighted such cases, they have stopped but we find that this is not the case... In fact, this is o­ne of the worse cases we have seen," Shoba said during a press conference at the organisation's office in Petaling Jaya.

The police referred Inawati Korta, who hails from Central Java, to the organisation's shelter last month after she was removed from her employer's home o­n suspicions of abusive treatment.

According to the fact sheet distributed by WAO, Inawati claimed her employers subjected her to constant abuse since the second month that she worked in the household.

"She has been beaten daily and there are visible marks around her wrists and ankles... The male employer often yanks her hair roughly and whenever her hair comes off, she would be forced to eat them."

"Her employers have verbally abused her daily, and have tried to chase her out of the house. They sent her back to her agent twice, but the agent o­nly further abused her by sending her back," said the factsheet.

Sexual assault

Inawati said she was forced to eat faeces and cockroaches when her employers were dissatisfied with her work.

The domestic worker also claimed that she was subjected to sexual assault and that her female employer had threatened to prostitute her.

Shoba said the girl's plight o­nly came to an end when a neighbour notified the police of the matter.

Inawati, who was also present at the press conference, said she hoped her employers would face justice for what they had done to her.

"I hope my boss will get what they deserve after all they did to me. I hope other domestic workers will not have to suffer as I have suffered.

"I also hope that people understand our position that even if we are domestic workers, they should not look down o­n us and instead, treat us as human beings," she said amid sobs.

Responding to a question, Inawati said among the reasons that prompted her employers to assault her, was for "walking too slowly" or "being irresponsible".

"They also told me that as a household helper, I am not allowed to go to sleep before they do. I have no rest days," she said, adding that she often had o­nly four to five hours' sleep a night.

On the status of Inawati's police case against her employers, Shoba said any charges against them could o­nly be made after the release of her medical report, due later this month.

"(The employers) will probably be charged under Section 324 of the Penal code which allows for a jail term and a heavy fine. This is the same clause that deals with criminal assault cases," she said.

Under the law, those found guilty of voluntarily causing hurt by dangerous weapons or means may face a jail term not exceeding three years, or a fine, or whipping, or any of two such punishments.

Employment standards

In a related matter, WAO law reform officer Lee Shook Fong said the organisation is also pressing the government to introduce a standard employment contract for domestic workers which has to be signed by the employers and their employees.

The contract proposed by the WAO stipulates that, among others, all domestic workers be paid a fixed, agreed sum o­n the last day of each month and that all workers have to be allowed a minimum eight-hour continuous rest period at night and o­ne rest day per week.

The contract also requires all employers to pay for the medical check-ups of the workers and to bear all medical expenses of the worker incurred while in employment.

According to Lee, the Philippines is the o­nly country that has introduced such an employment contract to ensure minimum employment standards.

"Indonesia is entering talks with Malaysia to regulate the standard employment contracts so we have been lobbying the ministry of human resources to have this implemented. We hope that it could be done this year," she said.

In addition to this, WAO also urged the government to remove any obstacles that could stop foreign domestic workers to lodge reports and seek social support assistance should they face an abusive workplace.

"The government should make it easier for the workers to seek justice. For instance, foreign workers who want to remain in the country while they press charges must apply for a special pass costing RM100 per month and during this time, they are not allowed to work. This should be (abolished)," said Lee.

Shoba said that undocumented Indonesian domestic workers can also seek assistance at their embassy should they fear arrest by the police.

"Indonesian domestic workers can seek shelter at the Indonesian embassy if they have no papers or passports. They can call the embassy and the embassy has said that it would protect its nationals and seek redress," she said.

According to a Berita Harian report o­n Monday, the Indonesian embassy handled 263 cases of domestic worker abuse last year. This figure rose to 149 for January this year alone.

Last month, the Indonesian government decided to put a temporary stop to the sending of its women workers abroad to all countries in the Asia Pacific region and the Middle East in response to growing incidences of abuse and exploitation of its nationals abroad.

Malaysia is the second biggest destination for Indonesian women workers after Kuwait.