Baby dies of head injuries

SUBANG JAYA: The 11-month-old baby, who was battling for his life after allegedly being abused by a foreign maid, died at the Subang Jaya Medical Centre (SJMC) yesterday.
A post-mortem at the Serdang Hospital revealed that Mohd Naim Alma Zaadi's death was due to head injuries.

District OCPD Asst Comm Zainal Rashid said the police have reclassified the case as murder.
“The 32-year-old Indonesian maid, who was arrested on Saturday, is under police custody until Wednesday (tomorrow), pending further investigations,” he said.

Final goodbye: Alma Zaadi together with his wife Norashikin and their children Nurul Nasuha and Mohd Naufal sprinkling flower petals on Mohd Naim's grave at the Muslim cemetery in Subang Jaya yesterday.

The toddler was admitted to SJMC after his father, Alma Zaadi Annwar, 36, noticed that his son looked ill at about 4pm on Wednesday.
About two hours earlier that day, he received a phone call from the maid saying that the child was crying uncontrollably.

Mohd Naim: Died after slipping into a coma. He rushed home to pacify his son and then returned to work.
Later, the maid called again with the same complaint.
Suspecting something amiss, the company director rushed his son to SJMC. Mohd Naim later slipped into a coma.

The toddler, the youngest of three siblings, was laid to rest at the Muslim cemetery in USJ 21 here after zohor prayers yesterday.
Met at the burial ground, his mother, Norashikin Mohd Ali, 37, said although she had noticed some bruises on her son, she was not sure how he had sustained it.
“He had just begun to take baby steps and I am still not sure if the bruises were due to an accident or abuse.

“I hope the Government will make it compulsory for all maids to go through a psychiatric evaluation. Our maid did not show any aggressive demeanour for the three months that she worked with us,” said the assistant manager.

The baby’s uncle, Redzuan Yahaya, 47 said the maid showed no signs of remorse when he told her the chances of the baby’s survival was 50-50.
“Even when I told her that she was going to be questioned by the police, she merely answered ‘OK’, which is quite surprising,” he said.

Treat bosses of maids fairly

Tuesday August 28, 2007

I HAVE had my fair share of hiring maids and I feel it is rather unfair for employers to be charged so much in agency fees to get a maid who is incapable.

Looking at how people always perceive a maid to be poorly treated here, I think the Government should also look at how employers are also poorly treated.
The Government should make sure all parties (the employer, agent and maid) are equally happy with each other.

Replacement maids are given to an employer should the current one not measure up to expectations, but there is also additional charge for that.

How can one guarantee the new maid is competent?

EMPLOYER,
Penang.

Remand on abuse suspects extended

THE Petaling Jaya magistrate’s court yesterday extended the remand order against the employers of a 24-year- old maid found dead in a double-storey house in Puchong Perdana.The remand order against a 35-year-old contractor and his 27-year-old wife was initially obtained on Aug 16 and was extended by magistrate Maimoonah Aid yesterday.

Subang Jaya police chief Assistant Commissioner Zainal Rashid Abu Bakar said the couple will likely be charged on Thursday.The body of the maid, known only as Kunasir, from Central Java, was found fully-clothed in her room at 7pm on Aug 14 by her employer.

Initial investigations revealed there were no signs of a break- in. Police have ruled out the possibility of a robbery gone awry.The case, which was initially classified as sudden death, was later re-classified as murder.

An autopsy revealed that Kunasir, who arrived in Malaysia four months ago, had died of internal bleeding. She was married with a child in Indonesia.

Abused toddler dies

By MOHD YAAKOB YUSOF

IN two weeks, toddler Mohd Naim Alma Zaadi would have celebrated his first birthday, but the suspected abuse victim died at Subang Jaya Medical Centre at 12.30am yesterday.

His mother, Norashikin Mohd Ali, 37, was with him when a doctor delivered the bad news.“I was with him when I realised something was wrong. I called the nurse who later called the doctor. A few minutes later, I was told that he was gone,” she said.

Mohd Naim’s body was taken to Serdang Hospital at 3am for an autopsy and was buried at USJ22 Muslim cemetery in Subang Jaya yesterday afternoon.The toddler was brought to the hospital last Wednesday when Norashikin’s maid called and told her that Mohd Naim had two epileptic fits.He had been suffering from epileptic fits after a fan fell on his head last month.The doctors found a crack on his skull, which caused his brain to swell and bleed, following an X-ray and CT scan after they found bruises on his body.The doctors told Norashikin that the crack was fresh and suspected that it could be due to abuse.

Last Thursday, police remanded the maid until tomorrow. The remand is expected to be extended.Norashikin said she had discovered several bruises on her son’s body before but did not suspect anything amiss. “I am shocked. We treated the maid like family and this is how she repaid our kindness,” said Norashikin at the cemetery.

She said a police officer told her that her second child, Mohd Naufal, had also been allegedly abused by the maid.“I was told that my four-year-old had been locked in a storeroom when my husband and I were at work,” she claimed.She said she and her husband, Alma Zaadi Annwar, 36, will think twice before hiring another maid.“This is what happens when maid agencies do not screen the workers properly,” she said.It is learnt that the couple is considering suing the agency over the incident.It was the couple’s third maid. The first maid had worked with them for three years while the second stayed for couple of weeks before running away.Most of the toddler’s relatives described the maid as a “good actress”.

One of them, who declined to be named, said they had seen the maid several times, including during a family gathering at Cameron Highlands in June.“She seemed like a kind person and we did not expect such an incident,” the relative said.“She stayed at my sister’s house in Subang Jaya after Mohd Naim was sent to hospital.”She claimed the maid was panicky the whole night.“She told us that Mohd Naim fell from a television rack but a police officer said that she told them he fell from the stairs.”It is learnt that police had taken statements from several family members and neighbours.

Selangor police chief Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar said the case, which was initially classified as child abuse, was reclassified to murder after the toddler died.

'Kami tak maafkan dia'

Oleh Iskandar Shah Mohamed

SUBANG JAYA: "Bunga kami beri, najis yang dia balas. Kami tidak akan maafkan dia sampai bila-bila. Tunggu detik 'perhitungan' di Padang Mahsyar kelak," kata Norashikin Mohd Ali, 37.Dia tidak dapat menahan sebak apabila bayi kesayangannya mati semalam selepas lima hari koma, dipercayai akibat didera pembantu rumah. Pada 22 Ogos lalu, bayi berkenaan, Mohd Naim Almazaadi yang berusia 11 bulan, terlantar dipercayai akibat didera berdasarkan kesan lebam pada badan dan cedera di kepala di rumahnya di Putera Height, di sini.Bayi itu dikejarkan ke sebuah pusat rawatan di sini, jam 4 petang selepas pembantu rumah warga Indonesia terbabit mendapati dia tidak sedarkan diri.

Hasil pemeriksaan awal doktor menemui kesan lebam dan bengkak di kepala bayi itu sebelum menghubungi polis. Berikutan itu, pembantu rumah berusia 32 tahun itu ditahan bagi membantu siasatan berhubung kes penderaan bayi berkenaan.Difahamkan, ahli keluarga Mohd Naim menerima panggilan daripada pembantu rumah itu jam 1 tengah hari, memberitahu bayi berkenaan terkena sawan.Selepas lima hari bertarung nyawa dengan menggunakan mesin sokongan pernafasan, bayi malang yang juga anak bongsu pasangan berkenaan akhirnya menghembuskan nafas terakhir di Pusat Perubatan Subang Jaya (SJMC), kira-kira jam 1 pagi semalam.

Norashikin berkata, sebelum ini dia dan suami serta saudara-mara menganggap pembantu rumah yang digelar 'Bibik' itu seperti ahli keluarga sendiri dan melayannya dengan baik. "Sejak mengambilnya bekerja Mei lalu, kami tak pernah berkasar dan sentiasa melayannya seperti saudara sendiri. Malah, kami mempercayainya dan menyerahkan tanggungjawab sepenuhnya kepada dia untuk menjaga anak-anak kami."Selain itu, kami tidak melayan dia (Bibik) seperti pembantu rumah lain yang kebiasaannya melakukan segala kerja rumah. Saya hanya menyuruhnya menghidangkan makanan yang saya masak di atas meja makan.

"Bagaimanapun, segala kepercayaan kami musnah selepas dia tergamak melakukan penderaan terhadap bayi saya yang tidak berdosa itu," katanya ketika ditemui di Tanah Perkuburan Islam USJ 22 di sini, semalam.Jenazah Mohd Naim dituntut jam 11.40 pagi di Hospital Serdang sebelum disembahyangkan di Masjid Al-Falaq, USJ9 dan dikebumikan.

Menurut Norashikin, dia turut terkejut apabila anak keduanya, Mohd Naufal, 4, mendakwa Bibik pernah mengurungnya dalam stor rumah, selain menarik telinga dengan kuat, kononnya sebagai 'denda' kerana melakukan kesalahan kecil seperti tidak menyiapkan kerja sekolah."Pengakuan itu dibuat Naufal selepas disoal bapa saudara dan saudara-mara terdekat sejurus selepas kejadian menimpa Mohd Naim. Ia tentunya memeranjatkan kami sekeluarga," katanya.Ditanya sama ada akan mengambil pembantu rumah warga Indonesia lagi selepas itu, Norashikin berkata, dia akan berfikir ratusan kali kerana bimbang perkara sama berulang."Sebelum ini, kami pernah mengupah dua pembantu rumah juga warga Indonesia.

Bagaimanapun, kedua-duanya menimbulkan masalah termasuk melarikan diri dan mencuri wang serta barang keperluan rumah," katanya. Sehubungan itu, dia berharap pembantu rumah 'kejam' berkenaan diadili dan dikenakan hukuman setimpal dengan perbuatannya. Seorang ahli keluarga terdekat mangsa yang enggan dikenali berkata, dia tidak menyangka pembantu rumah yang dianggap baik itu pada hakikatnya tidak berperikemanusiaan."Selepas bayi berkenaan dimasukkan ke SJMC minggu lalu, pembantu rumah terbabit berkelakuan aneh dan seolah-olah menggelabah kerana sering kali meminta ubat penahan sakit dan mengadu sakit kepala."Apabila ditanya punca bayi itu koma, dia memutarbelitkan fakta dengan memberi pelbagai alasan termasuk kononnya bayi itu terjatuh dari tangga dan rak televisyen," katanya.

Sementara itu, Ketua Polis Selangor, Datuk Khalid Abu Bakar, berkata kes itu kini disiasat mengikut Seksyen 302 Kanun Keseksaan kerana kesalahan membunuh.Menurutnya, kes itu sebelum ini hanya disiasat mengikut Seksyen 311 (A) Akta Kanak-Kanak atas kesalahan melakukan penderaan.Khalid berkata, hasil siasatan awal mendapati beberapa kesan cubitan ditemui pada kaki serta tangan selain kesan cekik di leher termasuk kecederaan di kepala bayi berkenaan dipercayai akibat dipukul.

“Dirgahayu Indonesia”

Daripada: SOPHA SULAIMAN (JAKARTA)

JUMAAT lalu, Indonesia menyambut ulang tahun Hari Kemerdekaan ke-62. Jika tahun lepas negara ini merayakan ulang tahun yang ke-61 dalam jerebu akibat kebakaran hutan yang menyelimuti sebahagian wilayah Nusantara, tahun ini sambutan itu dirayakan ketika nilai rupiah dan pasaran saham menjunam serta bencana alam di sana sini.

Namun demikian, semangat nasionalisme dan patritiosme yang ditunjukkan oleh rakyat tidak pernah pudar untuk memperingati hari merdeka walaupun di sebahagian wilayah masih digoncang gempa awal paginya dan ancaman gunung berapi. Sejak dua minggu sebelum perayaan, seluruh daerah dan pelosok desa, sang saka merah putih berkibar megah dan dihias dengan kata-kata partriotik.

Pelbagai acara rakyat berlangsung dengan meriah, daripada perarakan kebudayaan hingga pertandingan sukan rakyat melibatkan pelbagai kaum, etnik dan usia. Dari pemungut sampah, pesakit mental hingga, peniaga, selebriti dan pembesar negara tidak ketinggalan mengambil bahagian dalam pelbagai acara. Orang yang paling gembira ialah para banduan. Seramai 63,000 banduan dikurangkan tempoh hukuman dan lebih 6,000 dimerdekakan.

Malam menjelang ulang tahun hari kemerdekaan, sebuah kafe di Pasar Festival, Kuningan nampak riuh-rendah dengan anak-anak muda yang minum-minum sambil bernyanyi. Tepat pukul 12 malam, pelayan-pelayan kafe bersama tetamu menyanyikan lagu Indonesia Raya, lagu kebangsaan negara sambil memberi tabik hormat. Mereka kemudian beramai-ramai menyanyi lagu partrotik seperti “Garuda Pancasila”.

Selepas bernyanyi mereka berteriak “merdeka, selagi merdeka tetap merdeka, bangun Indonesia!”.
Di masjid Istiqlal, Presiden bersama pembesar negara, ulama serta ribuan umat Islam berkumpul menghadiri upacara zikir bersama dan doa kesyukuran memohon doa restu Ilahi agar Indonesia terus makmur dan dijauhi malapetaka.

Esoknya pukul 10 pagi 17 Ogos, acara sambutan ulang tahun kemerdekaan dimulakan di pekarangan Istana Negara. Tembakan meriam 17 das (mengambil sempena tarikh 17 Ogos) menggegar sekitar Tugu Monumen Nasional (Monas), mercu tanda Jakarta sebelum acara menurun dan menaikkan bendera.

Di seluruh desa, beduk dan loceng gereja dibunyikan bagi memperingati hari kemerdekaan setelah terlepas belenggu penjajahan Belanda yang bertapak sekian lama di bumi Indonesia. Sambutan yang sama diadakan serentak di peringkat provinsi, kabupaten, kecamatan dan kelurahan.

Namun di sebalik kemeriahan menyambut ulang tahun kemerdekaan, masih ada cerita-cerita sedih dari dalam dan luar negara. Ada pembantu rumah yang mati dikatakan akibat didera majikan di Arab Saudi dan Malaysia, di sebalik kesenangan sebahagian besar mereka bekerja di negara orang.

Mereka telah mengirim wang yang banyak kepada negara hingga mengubah kehidupan ekonomi keluarga yang sebelumnya miskin.
Malah sebuah masjid besar di Brebes, Jawa Tengah yang dibina dengan indah adalah hasil sumbangan warga Indonesia yang bekerja di luar negara.
Di depan kedutaan besar Arab Saudi di Jakarta, para penunjuk perasaan dan anggota keluarga mangsa mengadakan majlis tahlil terhadap si mati untuk memprotes kekerasan terhadap tenaga kerja di luar negara.

Di sebahagian daerah di Pulau Jawa, kemarau mula melanda, menyukarkan petani menanam padi dan mendapatkan bekalan air. Anak-anak sekolah masih belajar di bawah pokok kerana tempat belajar mereka uzur dan roboh serta mendesak supaya persekolahan percuma. Namun yang menyentuh perasaan ialah pengorbanan dua wanita kembar mengajar anak-anak keluarga miskin yang tinggal di bawah jambatan di kota Jakarta secara percuma sejak sekian lama hingga ada anak-anak itu kini mampu menjadi penjawat kerajaan.

Dalam menyambut ulang tahun kemerdekaan ke-62 ini, ibu-ibu di luar kota masih berebut membeli minyak masak yang harganya semakin melambung selain menolak kempen pemerintah supaya menggantikan dapur minyak tanah dengan dapur gas.

Sebahagian besar rakyat masih miskin. Namun kesetiaan mereka pada negara tidak pernah pudar walaupun ramai di antaranya masih hidup menderita selepas dilanda pelbagai bencana alam.

– Mingguan

Amah larikan bayi 10 bulan

KUALA LUMPUR: Seorang bayi berusia 10 bulan hilang, dipercayai dilarikan pembantu rumah warga Indonesia ketika ibunya tiada di rumah, di Taman Bukit Cheras, dekat sini, Jumaat lalu.Ibu bayi berkenaan, Sabrina Sulaiman, 27, berkata beliau meninggalkan Mohammad Haqimi Mohd Zuraimi, bersama pembantu rumahnya kira-kira jam 12.45 tengah hari untuk menghantar ibu saudaranya ke pejabat.

“Saya membawa anak dan pembantu rumah tinggal di rumah ibu saudara di Cheras sejak Isnin lalu kerana suami ke luar negara atas urusan perniagaan,” katanya ketika dihubungi di sini, semalam.Berikutan kejadian itu, beliau membuat laporan polis di Balai Polis Taman Cempaka, Cheras, kelmarin selepas 24 jam anaknya hilang dan sesiapa yang mempunyai maklumat diminta menghubunginya menerusi talian 012-3424042.

Sementara itu, Ketua Polis Daerah Cheras, Asisten Komisioner Rusli Ahmad, ketika dihubungi mengesahkan kejadian itu.