Cop jailed 12 years for trafficking and abusing domestic worker
S Vijiyan Rao, 40, and K Rineshini Naidu, 37, were found guilty under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act at the Klang court in Selangor, today.
The Act covers cases of...
A police officer and his wife were sentenced to prison, for a total of 12 and 10 years respectively, for trafficking and exploiting their Indonesian domestic worker, Zailis.
S Vijiyan Rao, 40, and K Rineshini Naidu, 37, were found guilty under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act at the Klang court in Selangor, today.
The Act covers cases of grievous harm inflicted on trafficking victims.
They were charged in September 2022, following revelations that officials from the Human Resources Ministry were being pressured to bury the matter.
The couple, who have two children, were ordered to compensate Zailis, who like many Indonesians goes by only one name.
They were ordered to pay her RM80,000 within a month of conviction.
The couple, who are from Batu Caves, Selangor, also received additional prison sentences for separate charges.
Rineshini, who is a businessperson, was also convicted under Section 325 of the Penal Code which deals with causing grievous hurt voluntarily and sentenced to four years in prison, fined RM4,000, with an additional month in jail if the fine is not paid.
Meanwhile, for his conviction under Section 55B of the Immigration Act, Vijiyan was sentenced to six months in jail and fined RM25,000, with an additional four months in jail if the fine is not paid.
Section 55B deals with employing one or more persons other than citizens or Entry Permit holders who do not have a valid pass.
Bad image to the country
Indonesian Ambassador to Malaysia Hermono said the verdict sent a clear message to employers that abusive behaviour would not go unpunished.
Zailis’ case is among the common horrors faced by Indonesian domestic worker cases in Malaysia, particularly physical abuse and unpaid wages.
M Saravanan, who was the human resources minister when the couple were arrested, said Zailis was owed RM32,000 in unpaid wages since 2019 and alluded that the couple gave a bad image to the country.
In early September 2022, Zailis was hospitalised with severe lacerations on her face and injuries to both her ears sustained from allegedly being beaten by her employer.
Hermono, who visited her at the Selayang Hospital, said she was also treated for an old broken arm injury sustained when her employer allegedly beat her but had never sought to treat her injuries.
He said Zailis was forced to continue working with a broken arm and other injuries like having hot water splashed on her back.
