Malaysian mother in postpartum period detained for four days due to authorities’ misunderstanding

MALAYSIA: In a concerning incident in Malaysia, a mother in the postpartum period endured four days of trauma in police custody due to a misunderstanding among authorities.

Liew Jin Yih, known as Nichole, aged 25, was only released on September 7th after being remanded on charges of assaulting her Cambodian domestic helper, Sok Vann Chandy, 28.

The incident unfolded when around 15 to 20 police officers raided Nichole’s mother’s house in Taman Seri Jempol, Bahau, Negeri Sembilan, one night.

The family was shocked by this sudden intrusion, and Nichole was subsequently detained on remand following allegations of abuse against her domestic helper.

“My mother was the first to realize the presence of the police and immediately alerted all the family members who were already asleep when they arrived around 11:30 at night.”

“After the door was opened, we were shocked to see a group of police officers, some of whom were in full uniform, in the yard of my mother’s house.”

“Most surprisingly, I was detained on remand following a report of abuse against my domestic helper,” she told the media during a recent press conference in Bandar Bukit Puchong.

What adds to the perplexity of the situation is that Nichole claimed that no officer took her statement during her four-day remand, raising suspicions about the handling of her case.

“Previously, they had informed me that my detention was under the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007 (ATIPSOM).

“As you know, it’s a serious and significant crime. So, why didn’t the police question me at all?” she asked.

After her release, Nichole’s family and friends enlisted the services of a lawyer to seek clarification regarding her detention.

After a few days, investigations revealed that the 28-year-old domestic helper had apparently filed a report against her previous employer before starting work at Nichole’s house in Puchong.

Nichole, admitted that her feet often felt numb due to sleeping in the cold every night, especially given her weakened condition after childbirth.

“I’m still shocked, it’s hard to close my eyes at night to sleep because I still remember the experience of being in the lockup.”

Despite the harrowing experience of being in custody and suffering physical discomfort, Nichole refrains from placing blame on anyone.

“I’m raising this issue not to seek justice by implicating specific parties but simply as a warning to prevent such incidents from happening again to anyone,” she said.

Nevertheless, Nichole is currently deliberating whether to pursue legal action or explore other avenues to address the matter.