Justice for Adelina! Justice for All Migrant Domestic Workers!
Press Release
September 24, 2020
Justice for Adelina! Justice for All Migrant Domestic Workers!
The International Migrants Alliance expresses dissatisfaction over the decision of the Malaysian Court of Appeal to uphold the acquittal of Ambika Ma Shan over the murder of Indonesian domestic worker Adelina Lisao in 2018.
Adelina was tortured and forced to sleep outside the house with the employer’s pet dog. She was abused for more than a month and was scared to tell the police about her injuries after she was rescued. She died from multiple organ failure the day after she was rescued outside Ambika’s home. The autopsy report showed that Adelina had a swollen face, dog-bite marks and acid burns. She was 21 years old when she died.
Her employer Ambika was charged with murder, an offence that carries a mandatory death sentence in Malaysia in February 2018. The High Court of Penang, however, dropped the murder case against her last year without stating any reason.
These decisions in the Malaysian judiciary put migrant workers at a great disadvantage. Tales of abuse against migrant workers, especially migrant domestic workers, are common. Without a system that clearly outlines the protection of migrants and laws that will uphold their rights, migrants in Malaysia will continue to be vulnerable and abusive employers, agencies and individuals can run scot-free.
The International Migrants Alliance (IMA) joins Tenaganita and all migrants’ rights advocates in Malaysia and around the world in calling for justice for Adelina. As we continue to monitor this case, we call on all our member organizations and friends to put pressure on the Malaysian government to listen and act on our demand to give Adelina her much-deserved justice.
Adelina may not be with us anymore but she is a reminder that justice remains elusive for migrant domestic workers, many of whom are women. We will remain vigilant and continue to fight for the protection of all migrant workers around the world.
For Reference:
Eni Lestari, chairperson
Email:ima.sect@gmail.com