Tenaganita’s online petition for Adelina garners 10,000 signatures
Tenaganita Women’s Force, a non-governmental organisation (NGO), has initiated an online petition, demanding justice for Indonesian maid Adelina Sau.
This was after her 61-year-old employer was freed by the High Court for murder.
The petition, which was started three days ago, has garnered more than 10,000 signatures.
The petition is addressed to Attorney-General Tommy Thomas, Minister in the Prime Minister’s Department (law) Datuk Liew Vui Keong and Human Resources Minister M. Kulasegaran.
In a statement, the NGO said the Attorney-General’s Chambers must provide the public with a full explanation on what transpired during the court proceedings that led to the acquittal of S. Ambika, the employer of the 21year-old maid.
“We want the Attorney-General’s Chambers to use every legal avenue to ensure justice for Adelina.
“We call for the Domestic Workers’ Bill to be tabled, debated and passed in Parliament as soon as possible.”
The NGO said the petition was initiated “as they can no longer accept torture and violence in our homes and in our neighbourhoods; cannot accept the failure of our justice system and cannot accept the inaction by our elected officials”.
“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,” it said.
Tenaganita executive director Glorene A. Das said they were shocked and shaken by the High Court decision.
“Tenaganita and our partner JPIT in Kupang are distraught over this news. We cannot imagine the unbearable grief of Adelina’s family.
“This is unacceptable. Adelina is dead.
“She was a young woman made to work for two years without pay. She was a young woman whose body was brutalised.
“Her death has to mean something. Why have our courts failed her? Why has the government failed her? Where is justice for Adelina?”
It was reported that Adelina died at Bukit Mertajam Hospital on Feb 11 last year from organ failure.
When she was rescued, she was found sleeping outside her employer’s home with the latter’s dog.
Her employer reportedly did not want pus oozing from her body “dirtying her home”.
Her arms and legs were covered in burn marks. Her face was swollen and she was terrified when rescuers helped her.
Nurses and doctors were in disbelief over the extent of her injuries.
Among those who signed the petition was Philip Wong, who called for justice for Adelina and punishment for those guilty.
“If we, as humans, ignore this then we’re leaving a world without justice for our future generations. Right is right and wrong is wrong. No amount of money in the world can change that!
“If the law that is supposed to punish the guilty doesn’t do its job, why is there such a thing called law?”
P. Arunasalam said: “Bring the murderer to book... Investigate why this accused was freed.”
As for Nanie Othman, she said it was unfair that a person who caused the death of a human being could walk free.
“How do you explain this injustice to Adelina’s family? Surely her parents had the highest of hopes for her, hoping she can lift the family out of abject poverty, but instead finds her returned in a coffin, her body full of scars.
“Allow them that final dignity by ensuring the perpetrator is punished!”
It was reported that the Indonesian Consulate in Penang had demanded an explanation on the decision by the court to drop the case.
Indonesian Consul-General in Penang, Iwanshah Wibisino, said an official letter had been sent, requesting a meeting with the deputy public prosecutor to find out why the case was dropped.
“I hope the meeting can be arranged soon because we have to provide an explanation to Adelina’s family in Kupang, East Nusa Tenggara,” he said on Sunday.
Iwanshah had said the decision had shocked the people of Indonesia. He had, however, said the consulate respected the due process of law in Malaysia and hoped Adelina would get justice.