Malaysian authorities have suspended 19 maid agencies and blacklisted 85 employers for failing to pay their domestic workers, a report said today.

Home Affairs Minister Mohamad Radzi Sheikh Ahmad said the maid agencies were suspended after public complaints of cheating and for breaching conditions of their permits.

The ministry formerly issued warnings to agencies but it had to take the action to suspend them due to the number of complaints received, Radzi said according to New Straits Times .

"They have until the end of this month to appeal the suspension and if they fail to do so, their permits will be immediately terminated," Radzi was quoted as saying.

He warned that once a licence had been terminated, the owner would not be able to operate another agency even if it were under a new name.

Radzi said the 85 employers will be given a chance to appeal against their blacklisting but they must prove they will be able to pay their maids' wages soon.

The latest incident

The minister also highlighted that the agency that brought in the Indonesian maid, Ceriyati Dapin, had had its licence suspended for breaching rules.

Ceriyati made headlines when she escaped from a 15th-storey apartment in Kuala Lumpur by knotting pieces of cloth together and climbing out of the window.

The 33-year-old domestic worker, who was trying to flee from her employer, had to be rescued by the fire department after climbing down three floors.

Police said they detained her boss and were investigating her for alleged wrongful confinement and the causing of injury with a dangerous weapon.

Malaysia depends heavily on foreign maids but they enjoy little protection under labour laws. The maids often live in and work long hours under tough conditions to earn about 130 dollars a month.