M'SIA'S 'WORST MAID ABUSER' OUT ON BAIL
THERE were kisses, red roses and tears.
After spending two months in Kajang prisons, housewife Yim Pek Ha,
36, was finally released on bail yesterday.
Yim has been accused of being Malaysia's worst maid abuser for
scalding and beating her Indonesian maid.
But her family rallied around her, raising money for her bail and
sending her letters with words of encouragement, reported Malaysian
newspapers.
Her bail of RM85,000 ($38,200) was paid by her
brother-in-law.
Yim smiled when she saw her husband outside the Kuala Lumpur court
and ran into his arms.
Mr Hii Yu Tuang presented her with nine roses - a symbol of his
undying love for her ('nine' or 'jiu' in Mandarin sounds like 'a
long time').
They both broke down in tears.
The past two months have been difficult for the Hiis.
Every day, Mr Hii would take their 10-month-old baby to jail so
that Yim could breastfeed.
And every Sunday, he would take his three other daughters to visit
their mum.
Their time with her was always too short, he said. A mere 45
minutes spent divided by bulletproof glass.
'The kids would keep on saying they missed me,' Yim told
reporters.
'All I could tell them was that I would always be in their
hearts.'
Her children were looked after by her mother and elder
sister.
Their visits gave Yim hope amid her grim surroundings.
'When I first entered the prison, no-one would speak to me. My
reputation had preceded me. The other inmates had read about me in
the papers and were too scared to befriend me,' said Yim.
'For weeks, I did everything alone. I didn't know how to
cope.'
Yet, Yim says the days she spent behind bars were the best for
her.
'I grew up overnight,' she said.
Having grown up in a loving family and educated in Australia, her
life had always been smoothsailing, she said.
It was only in jail that she learnt the importance of family and
health.
She also said it was a rare opportunity for her to meet people from
completely different walks of life.
She said: 'As time passed, the other inmates and I got to know each
other better. They became a source of strength and encouragement
for me.'
Yim's previous two appeals for bail had been rejected.
Justice Abdul Kadir Musa, who rejected the appeal on May 25, did so
as he was worried about her safety due to public outrage.
He noted that things have calmed down since then.
'The fact that she was suffering from asthma and her blood pressure
was 150/100 are the special circumstances in this case,' he
added.
'The issue of breastfeeding her 10-month-old baby is not the main
thing, but is a factor I have considered.'
But despite yesterday's celebrations, a dark cloud continues to
hang over the Hii household.
Yim's case is still pending trial and, if found guilty (see report
below), she could be jailed for up to 67 years.
Yim had pleaded not guilty to three counts of causing grievous hurt
to her Indonesian maid Nirmala Bonat.
Justice Abdul Kadir had attached conditions to Yim's bail
order.
She is not allowed to leave Kuala Lumpur or Selangor without
written permission of the Dang Wangi OCPD, except for emergency
cases.
She is also not allowed to employ any maid especially foreigners
until the final disposal of her case.
He said Yim's bail would be revoked if she breached any of the
conditions.
The Nirmala Bonat case
May 19 Indonesian maid Nirmala Bonat escapes from Yim's Villa
Putera condominium in KL, claiming she had been abused. She shows
the media shocking injuries. She claimed Yim beat her every day and
scalded her with boiling water.
May 20 The police arrest Yim and detain her
May 22 Yim is charged in court. She pleads not guilty.
May 24 A special team is set up to investigate the abuse. Yim's
first appeal for bail is rejected.
May 25 An Indonesian friend of Ms Bonat's testifies that Ms Bonat
has psychiatric problems and is prone to inflicting wounds on
herself. Yim's second appeal for bail is thrown out.
May 26 Mr Hii testifies that Ms Bonat had stolen RM10,000. Ms
Bonat's mother flies to KL.
Jul 19 Yim is granted bail
Source: NP