Malaysian High Court upholds 12-year and 10-year jail terms for police officer and wife over forced labour of Indonesian maid.
KUALA LUMPUR: The Klang High Court today upheld the 12-year and 10-year prison sentences, imposed respectively, on a police officer and his wife for trafficking their Indonesian maid into forced labour exploitation, causing her to suffer severe injuries in 2022.
Trial judge Datuk Seri Shamsulbahri Ibrahim, now a Shah Alam High Court judge, dismissed the appeal filed by S. Vijayan Rao, 42, and his wife, K. Rineshini Naidu, 39, while upholding their convictions and fines.
“Regarding the sentence, I find that the punishment imposed by the Klang Sessions Court judge Zulqarnain Hassan falls within the range permitted by law and is highly appropriate.
“There are no reasonable grounds for me to intervene or alter the said sentence. Therefore, I dismiss the appeal against both conviction and sentence filed by the appellants,” he said.
However, the court allowed the couple’s application for a stay of execution of their sentences pending their appeal at the Court of Appeal.
In 2024, the Klang Sessions Court handed down the sentence against the couple at the end of the defence case and also ordered them to pay RM80,000 in compensation to the victim within one month, in default six months imprisonment.
Zulqarnain found that, based on the testimony and medical report from forensic expert Dr Siew Sheue Feng of Hospital Kuala Lumpur, the victim had 20 fresh injuries on her head, three on her neck, five on her chest, one on her back, and six on each hand.
He added that there were also 42 scars on her head, two on her chest, seven on her back, two on her abdomen, and eight on her right hand.
The couple was charged with committing the crime at a house in Taman Industri Bolton, Gombak, between March and August 2022, under Section 13(a) of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007.
The offence carries a punishment of life imprisonment, or up to 20 years in prison, and may also include caning.
Rineshini was additionally sentenced to four years in prison and fined RM5,000 for causing grievous harm to the victim.
Zulqarnain also sentenced Vijayan to six months in prison and fined him RM25,000 for employing the victim without a valid permit at the same location in December 2021 under Section 55B(1) of the Immigration Act 1959/63.
This section carries a maximum penalty of 12 months imprisonment or a fine of between RM5,000 and RM50,000, or both upon conviction.
They were ordered to serve an additional four months in prison if they fail to settle the fines.
In today’s proceedings, deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam appeared for the prosecution, while the couple was represented by lawyers Manogaran Marimuthu and Mooresh Kana Murthy.
