What were the agents in Indonesia and Malaysia doing when the domestic worker was abused? Did they check on the wellness of the worker? I'm sure they collect commissions from the monthly unpaid salary until its paid off. So why both agents didn't see or speak to the worker while she was abused? I'm curious.

My condolence to the family of Mantik. I am Malaysian, non-Muslim and hires an Indonesian helper at home. My children will be reprimanded if they are rude to the maid and corporal punishment is meted out if they get physical with the helper, e.g. pinching her etc. My helper also has her own room and she gains weight to the extent that she is now dieting, although I would said that she is somewhat not making much headway.

I must say that while I can discipline my own children, I am helpless when it comes to my Indonesian helper. She tells lies, does not do her work diligently when we are not at home, manipulates old folks in the family, etc. Funny thing is, she is not unique, past Indonesian helpers were more or less the same. A quick survey of employers in Malaysia will reveal the same pattern of behaviour. Most of us will live with this inconvenience but unfortunately, some employers simply cannot cope with the mental strain that comes with having an Indonesian helper under the same roof and ends with tragedy. However, at this juncture, I assert that there is no justification for any form of violence or even punishment of any sort on an adult. A crime has been committed and the wrongdoers must face the full force of the law.

I would, though, trust that this sharing opens up another perspective of the problem surrounding the employment of Indonesia domestic helpers in Malaysia. Why then do we live with the problem? Well, simply because Indonesian helpers are less expensive compared to Filipinos and the fact that they speak Malay is an advantage.

I will not say it is religion ! It is the attitude ! The shallowness in their thinking / their upbringing / their own family traits that create viciousness in their evil human being prompting to act and commit unimaginable atrocious / barbaric deeds. All religion preaches the good .

This MUST be animals in human cloth . Otherwise this vicious act on a defenceless human who left her family to work in Malaysia to support them would have not happened . I wonder as a Malaysian myself what is becoming of us in Malaysia.I simply hoped they - the evil beings who committed this crime are meeted with the country's severest punishment - DEATH . Vicious Malaysians must be taught to behaviour as decent humans . We are very sorry for what has happened . My heart cries too . May Muntik soul rest in peace . Thank you

I have to step in and say that anybody trying to align this case, or any other similar case of abuse against Indonesian maids working in Malaysia, to Islam, is just being bloody stupid. I suspect these comments are simply designed to be inflammatory, and I guess if that satisfies the small minds behind them, that’s OK. Even Prats need a hobby.

A number of my relatives here in Indonesia have been finding it increasingly hard to find women to work for them in the house. I believe that this is a pretty general trend. Perhaps this problem could be resolved by looking at their working conditions generally and pay in particular? I am not saying that people here treat workers badly or that they deliberately pay small wages, just that I think it may be time to review things on the domestic worker front: times move on.

If women are able to get decent jobs here at home, they will hopefully no-longer find the lure of working in Malaysia so attractive.

At this moment in time, maybe the government here needs to bring in tighter controls to protect vulnerable overseas workers. Perhaps by ensuring that workers can only be employed via licensed agencies, that these agencies are regularly vetted, and insisting that they hold responsibilities for the whole of the time the workers are overseas, and obviously backed up by serious penalties if conditions are not met.