Police detained an Indonesian maid who was believed to have stabbed her employer fatally with a knife at a house in Jalan Suria 2, Taman Suria, before trying to escape, here on Wednesday.

Johor Bahru Selatan police chief ACP Sulaiman Salleh said police found the maid with blood stains on her body at Jalan Suria 14, at about 2pm, after receiving information from members of the public.

He said when questioned, the maid had initially claimed she was attacked by an unknown assailant but when questioned further, she changed her 'story' claiming she was raped by her employer.

"Since she had raised doubts, we checked her belongings that led to the house of her employer situated about a kilometre from where she was detained. The employer was found dead in the bedroom of the upper floor of a double storey house.

"The victim who had two holes on the head, slash marks on her face was found with a knife planted in her stomach," he told reporters here yesterday.

Sulaiman said the victim known as Ong Siew Hong (she), 59, operated a karaoke centre in Taman Pelangi, here.

He said the husband and family members of the victim were not in the house as they had gone to work.

The body of the victim was later sent to the Sultanah Aminah Hospital for post-mortem.

Sulaiman said the maid was from Batam, Indonesia and had started work here only eight days ago.

"She has a valid work permit and had started work in Malaysia for the first time," he said adding that the suspect was believed to have been unhappy with her employer on matters related to work and an argument had started between the two before the fatal incident.

He said since the suspect was also injured, she was sent to the hospital for treatment and remanded for seven days. -- Bernama