2 couples arrested in Johor Bahru after videos of maid abuse spread online

JOHOR BAHRU: Two sisters, together with their husbands, were arrested on early Saturday evening (June 13), after a video was shared online of a domestic helper being assaulted.

The videos show an Indonesian woman being verbally abused as well as slapped by the sisters, and then beaten by their husbands.

According to Ab Rahaman Arsad, Johor’s police chief, the suspects, who are aged between 30 and 34, were apprehended at a house in Taman Johor, near Tampoi, in Johor Bahru.

The incident where the Indonesian woman was assaulted is said to have occurred on July 26, 2025, but was shared online only recently. 

“The incident came to light when footage of the assault made rounds on social media,” the police chief said.

The clip begins with one of the sisters showing the helper a video from her mobile phone that allegedly shows the employer’s child being mistreated. It shows the two sisters standing over the helper, who was seated on a couch. After the helper was shown the video, the sisters proceeded to berate her, and then slap and hit her several times, and even pulled her hair. 

Shockingly, this was followed by the men also slapping and punching the helper. One of the men even stood on the couch and stepped on the helper while he punched her.

Pictures that were shared online revealed that the helper had bruises and cuts in various parts of her body after the assault.

The Johor police chief added that they are searching for two other foreign domestic helpers to assist in the investigation. The authorities believe that these other two women were also abused by the couples and have since left their homes, but might still be in Malaysia.

They were able to seize several mobile phones from the couples, as well as two passports that belonged to the domestic workers employed by one of the couples, according to Berita Harian.

The couples have no criminal records and tested negative for drugs, the police chief added. /TISG

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