6 Malaysians allegedly worked as sex slaves

A woman, accused of running a Sydney brothel, told six Malaysian women she held in alleged "sexual servitude", they had to perform sex acts to settle debts they incurred in coming to Australia, a court was told.

Wong Chee Mei, 37, has pleaded not guilty to one count of sexual servitude and six counts of breaching visas, including exploiting workers, the Australian Associated Press (AAP) reported.

At the opening day of her trial in the New South Wales District Court in Sydney on Monday, it was alleged Wong, also known as 'Yoko', ran the Diamonds brothel in Willoughby in Sydney's north between August 2008 and 2010.

She allegedly employed six women of Indian background, who were recruited in Malaysia and sent to Australia on student visas.

Crown Prosecutor Carolyn Davenport SC said the women spoke little to no English, and were told they would have to work until they paid off the cost of their airfare, visa and course fees - amounting to about A$5,000 (RM16, 073).