A couple of Chinese origin convicted of starving their 24-year-old Cambodian maid to death in 2012 were each jailed for 10 years after Malaysia’s Federal Court found them guilty on Thursday of committing culpable homicide not amounting to murder.
Soh Chew Tong, 49, the owner of a hardware store, and his 46-year-old wife Chin Chui Ling from Bukit Mertajam in Penang, had been found guilty of murder by the Court of Appeal in December 2015, Sin Chew Daily (Malaysia) reported.
The 24-year-old victim named Mey Sichan, a Cambodian who came to Malaysia in September 2011, had been a domestic worker at Soh and Chin’s home in Taman Asas Murni.
At 4am on March 31, 2012, Mey was reportedly found dead in a bunk bed at his employers’ home. According to a post-mortem report, she weighed just 17 kilograms at the time, and there were 29 old and fresh injuries on her body.
Her death was caused by acute peritonitis due to a perforated gastric ulcer associated with abuses and neglect.
Previously the courts learnt that the couple did not provide any meals for their maid, which prompted her to look for leftovers in the garbage. The maid’s body weight plunged, yet the couple did not take her to a clinic nearby or to call a doctor to check on her health.
A lawyer for the defendants claimed that Mey was provided food, citing from the statement from Chin’s mother, who had also suggested taking the sick maid to get medical attention, but the victim herself allegedly declined to do that.
So, the Federal Court ruled that Soh and Chin had known that the Cambodian maid’s health was fragile but “without any intention to cause [her] death”.
Judges in the senior court revised their punishment from the death penalty to 10 years in jail for both of the accused.
10 years?? What the hell!!! Should be given death penalty..A poor innocent life is taken..is not fair..
Why 10yrs.? Why not life inprisonment.so they know how it feel to lost a loveones.
The judges who gave the mere 10-year sentence are monsters too, who tolerate sadistic acts and murder.
Wny not try not giving them food for ten years will see whethear they will survived .Stupud ediot employer if i have that kind of employer i will bring tbem with me in my grave .
Poor girl she came all the way to malaysia to earn a living and just like that ,working witn the evil family and has a black heart they dont treat her as a human being ,why change the punishment mthey should put them into death pinalty because the person whom you mention is already dead and they killed her by not giving her proper meal .How can the person rwfused to see a doctor ,theyre only excuses so that the court will reduce tnier punishment .That kind of people Gid wull punish them ,they will suffer inside behind bars .