Cambodian maid's 7 years of suffering after M'sia - Malaysiakini

When Phat Sokleang, a Cambodian national, returned to her country after serving four months in Malaysia as a domestic helper, she was no longer in a "proper mental state".

This "horrific mental trauma" has ruled her life for seven years since leaving Kuala Lumpur in 2005, said Community Legal Education Centre (CLEC), a Cambodian NGO based in Phnom Penh.

During the period the 15- year- old was in Kuala Lumpur, she was totally cut off from her family living in Kampong Cham District.

But one day, the recruitment agency called her parents informing them that Sokleang (right) needed to return to her homeland, and asked that they fork out US$500 (RM1,600) for her passage back.

"If I had that kind of money, I would not have allowed my daughter to work in Malaysia at all," the father had told the agency.

Several days later, Sokleang landed at the Phnom Penh International Airport; her mother ,who went to pick her up, found a completely changed person.

Ban on Cambodian maids
Sokleang is only one of an estimated 50,000 maids currently working in Malaysia, many of whom have returned home, and her story was related to Malaysiakini by CLEC head Tola Moeun.

Like Tola (right), local activists have been highlighting dozens of cases of sexual abuse, exhaustion from overwork and exploitation of Cambodian domestic workers.

In April, police detained a couple over the alleged murder of a 24-year old Cambodian maid, who had allegedly died from starvation.

Following a series of similar complaints, in October last year, Cambodia imposed a temporary ban on sending their workers to Malaysia.

Tola said that no one really knew what had happened to Sokleang in Malaysia, and as her father (below) had emphasised - the girl was a completely normal person before leaving her country.

"She used to be a good and smart kid. She did well in her studies. Why did she become improper?" asked Tola, in an email conversation with Malaysiakini.

"Villagers, including her village chief, all emphasised that Sokleang was a very good, disciplined and smart child," Tola said.

"She respected everyone in her community, especially the elders.
"They assume that she was sexually abused during her employment, but the details are not clear and remain between her and her doctor," he added.

Sokleang's story is documented in a video by CLEC, where the young woman's physical and mental conditions are portrayed for all to see.

In the video, her family was told that she can earn a better wage when working in Malaysia.

In an interview with CLEC, Sokleang's grandmother is seen expressing deep pity that since the family was so poor, they had to let the girl leave for a foreign country to work.

When Sokleang returned home sick, the family was burdened with her medical bills, yet they carried on sending her to the doctor because they loved her.

"I do not know how we can make income besides farming. We sold all our farming lands for her treatment and now we have nothing left," her grandmother is heard saying in the video.

She didn't recognise hubby, child

Meanwhile, Sokleang's dad told CLEC that since Sokleang's return , she had refused to speak, spent a lot of time sleeping and did not want to wear clothes.

Until today, she does not want to talk about what happened to her in Malaysia, Tola said.

Sokleang was later treated in a mental hospital but it did not help her much.

Still, she got married to a man from her village but he left after two years, because she had became more unstable after giving birth and used to beat her husband (right) since she could not recognise him.

"Her neighbours in the villager suspect she had been harassed, or violently abused when she was in Malaysia as she was never like that before," a villager is heard saying of Sokleang in the video.

Since she wandered a lot and stole people's properties, her dad finally decided to tie her up at home.

Tola said after locating Sokleang in 2011, CLEC has been helping her family to provide proper medical treatment and rehabilitation.

Seven years on, she is receiving treatment from psychologists, and she now manages to speak a little and even sing songs that she liked, as evident in the video.

"But Sokleang left her home again on the morning of August 27 and disappeared for two days," said Tola.

"She was found in Tuol Krosang Pagoda, located in Sen Sok District, Phnom Penh on Wednesday afternoon, August 29 and Sokleang is now at home safely in Kamong Siem District, the province where she lives," he added.