Employment Agency Owner Fined RM130,000 For Recruiting Illegal Indonesian Maids, Human Trafficking

PETALING JAYA (Selangor, Malaysia) April 26 (Bernama) – An employment agency owner was fined RM130,000 (about US$29,795) or 35 months’ jail by the Sessions Court here Tuesday when he pleaded guilty to recruiting four illegal Indonesian immigrants as maids and trafficking in five other Indonesian women for forced labour. Judge Mohammed Mokhzani Mokhtar imposed the sentence on Yew Shen Chwan , 42, when he changed his plea to guilty on the seventh day of trial. Four witnesses were called to testify at the hearing. Yew admitted taking in the four illegal immigrants, in their 20’s and 40’s, who did not have a valid permit to work at his agency. For the offence, he was fined RM20,000 for each illegal immigrant engaged to work, in default 20 months’ jail. Yew was also fined RM10,000 or three months jail for each of the immigrants when he pleaded guilty to trafficking in five Indonesian women for forced labour. Meanwhile, two agency employees Yati Taunu, 29, and Sri Wati , 23, were each jailed three years when they pleaded guilty to nine counts of trafficking the victims. All the offences were committed at the premises of Agensi Pekerjaan Prestij Bestari Sdn Bhd ( Selangor branch) at No 31-2, Jalan USJ 10-1G, UEP Subang Jaya and at No 26B and 26C, Jalan BPU, Bandar Puchong Utama, Puchong, here between 1.10pm to 7pm on Oct 5, 2016. (US$1 = RM4.36) -- BERNAMA