Malaysian maid charged with prostituting daughter

A Malaysian woman working as a housemaid in Australia was charged in the Sessions Court here today with prostituting her 13-year-old youngest daughter.

Lai Siew Jze, 47, a mother of three, denied committing the offence at a hotel in Jalan Tebrau here at 9am on Sept 20, 2015.

She faces imprisonment of not less than three years and not more than 20 years and is liable to a fine if found guilty, under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons Act 2007.

Judge Kamarudin Kamsun did not grant bail and set Oct 9 for re-mention.

Earlier, deputy public prosecutor Safiah Abdul Aziz objected to bail and asked the court to consider the seriousness of the crime which involved a minor and the accused's own daughter.

"If the accused is given bail, she would use her advantage as guardian to influence the case," she said.

Lai who was unrepresented, told the court in her mitigation for bail that she needed to return to Australia where she worked as a housemaid to support her family and school-going children and unemployed husband.