Married couple charged with trafficking in Indonesian woman for forced labour

KUALA LUMPUR: A married couple was charged in the sessions court here today with trafficking in an Indonesian domestic maid for exploitation as a forced labour.
Fong Yik Cheat @ Fong Siang Chin, 46, and her husband, Cheng Ming Soon, 45, however, pleaded not guilty to the charge before judge Azura Alwi.
They were jointly charged with committing the offence on the 26-year-old Indonesian at a house alleged to have committed the offence on a 26-year-old Indonesian woman at at house in Desa Park City, Kepong, Sentul, here at 1.20 pm between Sept 17, 2013 and Feb 21 this year.
The charge, under Section 13 of the Anti-Trafficking In Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, read together with Section 34 of the Penal Code, provides an imprisonment for up to 20 years and is also liable to fine, if found guilty.
Both the accused were allowed bail of RM20,000 in one surety each and also ordered to surrender their passports to the court, as well as report themselves at the nearest police station every month.
The prosecution was conducted by deputy public prosecutor Najwa Bistamam, while lawyer Datuk B. Jayanthi Devi represented the couple.
The court set April 4 for mention for submission of documents. — Bernama