The Story of Adelina: Female Migrant Worker Tortured in Malaysia
13 February 2018 11:10 WIB
TEMPO.CO, Jakarta - An Indonesian female migrant worker (TKW) named Adelina (21), could only sit helplessly on the porch of her employer's house accompanied by a black Rottweiler dog tied at the rope beside her.
Adelina who came from Medan, North Sumatra, was too afraid to respond to the rescue team member who were trying to rescue Adelina from her employer's house. She just glanced then lowered her head. The dog barked, trying to explain her plight.
The neighbors told that more than a month she was forced to sleep with the dog on the porch. When encountered, her head and face were swollen. Her legs were full of wounds and already infected.
Malaysian police failed to obtain information because she was terrified and too weak to answer. Adelina was rushed to the Mertajam hospital to receive treatment, but because of the heavy wounds she got from her employer, she finally died on Sunday, February 11.
As quoted from the straitstimes.com, the rescue team came to Adelina's employer's house in Taman Kota Permai, Penang, Malaysia, after receiving a report from a journalist.
“Upon arrival, we saw her sitting on the porch. She did not respond to us and just shook her head. We talked to the neighbors, they told us that they often heard Adelina's employer rant to her in a loud voice from inside the house,” said a rescue team member, Por Cheng Han (29).
Por explained burns were found all over her body. A 60-year-old woman, who was inside the house during the rescue refused to take Adelina to the hospital. Instead, she told the rescue team to mind their own business.
The woman then gave her daughter's phone number, which was Adelina's employer. When contacted, she denied the allegations of torturing Adelina.
Adelina's employer explained to Por that she purchased a chemical cleaning fluid after learning that Adelina was defecating in the kitchen dryer hole, making the hole became clogged.
She reasoned that Adelina accidentally spilled the liquid into her feet and hands while pouring the liquid into the dryer hole, causing burns. Adelina's employer confirmed that she had given her medicine, but Adelina could not stop peeling her wounds to make it worse.
According to Central Seberang Police Commander, Malaysia, Nik Ros Azhan Nik Abdul Hamid, Adelina's 36-year-old female employer and 39-year-old brother have been arrested. Until the news was revealed, the two perpetrators’ identity is still concealed.
The arrest of both Adelina’s employers is valid until February 14. Both will be charged with murder allegation.
SUCI SEKARWATI
