KUALA LUMPUR: Indonesian maid Nirmala Bonat told the High Court here yesterday that she tried to put up a fight when her employer Yim Pek Ha placed a hot iron on her breast 10 years ago.
She said she managed to grab Yim’s hands , but did not try to take away the iron from her employer.
Nirmala, 29, said this when questioned by lawyer Chan Vy Sing, who is representing Yim and husband, Hii Ik Tiing, on the second day hearing of her lawsuit against the couple for abusing and causing hurt on her with a hot iron and boiling water.
She disagreed with Chan, who said that what she had just told the court contradicted with her testimony in the Sessions Court eight years ago.
According to Chan, the maid told the Sessions Court that she kept quiet and did not put up a fight when Yim placed the iron on her.
However, Nirmala said she could not remember whether she told the police or doctors who interviewed her about the injury on her hands.
Chan: I put it to you that you regard the injury on your hand caused by the iron as not important and that was why you did not inform the matter to the police in the report lodged in 2004.
Nirmala: I don’t agree.
Chan: I put it to you that your testimony in the court today that you tried to prevent Yim from placing the hot iron with both your hands was a fictitious for the purpose of claiming damages.
Nirmala: I don’t agree.
Nirmala filed the lawsuit on Jan 28, 2010, claiming that the couple had abused and caused grievous hurt on her with a hot iron and boiling water.
In the statement of claim, she stated that she was employed by the couple, who was residing at Villa Putera, Jalan Tun Ismail here, in September 2003.
Nirmala claimed that during her employment at the couple’s residence, she was abused and injured several times by Yim, including with a hot iron on January 2004. She claimed that Hii failed to stop his wife from injuring her as well as to provide her the necessary medical treatment for her injuries.
Nirmala is seeking general damages for pain and sufferings that she went through and more than RM40,000 in special damages for loss of income, medical expenses and other cost deem fit by the court.
Yim, a former air stewardess, was sentenced to 18 years jail by the Sessions Court on Nov 27, 2008 after she was found guilty on three counts of causing grievous hurt on the Indonesian maid with a hot iron and hot water at Villa Putera, Jalan Tun Ismail here in January, March and April, 2004.
Yim, who has four children, appealed to the High Court, which reduced the sentence to 12 years jail on Dec 3 last year. Hearing before Judge Siti Khadijah S Hassan Badjenid continues today. — Bernama