Johor Bahru – A Malaysian housewife who allegedly sold her two underage daughters, one aged 8 and another 10, as prostitutes to Bangladeshi men for RM50 (about S$16) per intercourse session.
According to The Star, the 39-year-old unemployed woman is said to have allegedly forced her own daughters into having sex with three Bangladeshi men, one of whom is believed to be her lover for eight years.
The typical location for the sexual engagements was at a budget hotel in Larkin Perdana, about 30km from where they stayed at.
According to The Star, the mother and the two children, who are from her fourth and fifth marriages, stayed in one of the six rooms at a two-storey commercial lot in Taman Bintang in Senai.
Ms Malar, 38, a neighbour of the family, described them as “rather reserved” and said they barely came back home ever since they moved in two months ago.
Ms Malar also added that the younger child appeared to be a slow learner, “the girl barely speaks and doesn’t go to school.”
She said she didn’t sense anything odd and had been assuming that a Bangladeshi, who occasionally stayed over, was the mother’s husband.
The landlord, who runs a barber shop, said he had not been able to see the mother for the past few days, and she had not paid for past two months’ rentals.
“She has had no problem with the rent for the past one-and-a-half years until two months ago,” he said.
The woman, he added, was believed to be a factory worker but lost her job a few months ago.
State police chief Comm Datuk Mohd Khalil Kader Mohd said records revealed that the mother had been taking her girls to the hotel every Friday for the past month.
“We detained the mother on Oct 25 in Taman Bintang in Senai following a tip-off,” he told reporters.
The case is being investigated under Section 372 of the Penal Code for soliciting and Section 376 for rape.
Police are also investigating the case under Section 14 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants (Atipsom) Act 2007.
“We are looking for the three Bangladeshi men,” said Mr Comm Mohd Khalil.
Police are calling on anyone who has information to assist police in their investigations.
Meanwhile, State Welfare Department director Datuk Daud Arbah said the girls, who have been warded at Sultanah Aminah Hospital since Oct 25, will be put under the care of Pusat Perlindungan Kanak-Kanak.
“The two victims will be referred to us once they have completed their check-ups.
“We will look after them for at least one month while investigations are carried out under Section 19(1) of the Child Act.”
The case is also under investigations carried out by Johor Women and Family Affairs Committee chairman.