MIGRANT-WORKER rights’ group Tenaganita has started an online petition on change.org demanding justice for Indonesian maid Adelina Sao, who was allegedly abused by her employer.

Adelina died at Bukit Mertajam Hospital in February last year after she allegedly suffered physical and emotional abuse while working illegally as a domestic helper.

Her employer, M.A.S. Ambika, was arrested and charged with murder but acquitted earlier this month after the prosecution decided not to pursue the case.

Tenaganita is demanding that the Attorney-General’s Chambers explain to the public why the prosecution dropped the case and what had happened during court proceedings leading to the decision.

The women’s group also demanded that the A-GC use all possible legal avenue to ensure justice for Adelina. They also urged for the Domestic Workers’ Bill to be tabled, debated and passed as soon as possible.

The petition was kicked off to address the unacceptable levels of “torture and violence in our homes and in our neighbourhoods”, the “failure of our justice system” and “inaction of our elected officials”, it said.

“We sign this petition because we want comprehensive action to stop the violence against domestic workers in Malaysia.

“There must be justice for Adelina, and there must be justice now,” the petition read.

The petition, posted yesterday and addressed to Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran and his political secretary Cheong Chee Khing, and de facto law minister Liew Vui Keong, has already received more than 9,000 signatures.

Bukit Mertajam MP Steven Sim said in a statement last week that the A-G would investigate why the charge against Ambika was dropped.

The deputy youth and sports minister said he had contacted Tommy over the matter, and the latter responded that he would personally look into the next course of action.

Sim’s aide lodged a police report in February last year after the MP’s office was alerted to Adelina’s case.

Video surveillance images of Adelina being forced to sleep in the front porch with the family’s pet dog went viral, sparking calls from rights groups for the government to put in place measures to protect domestic workers.

Adeline had bruises on the body when she was rescued and taken to the hospital on February 10 last year. She died of multiple organ failure the next day. – April 23, 2019.