A married couple pleaded not guilty to trafficking their Indonesian domestic helper for forced labour, facing up to 20 years in jail.

KLANG: A married couple pleaded not guilty at the Sessions Court here to a charge of trafficking their Indonesian domestic helper for forced labour.

Muhammad Amir Mirza Kamaruddin, 27, and Siti Hajar C Ahmad Khalid, 28, entered their pleas after the charge was read out before Judge Mohd Sabri Ismail.

The couple are accused of jointly exploiting a 42-year-old Indonesian woman through an act of human trafficking for labour retention.

They are alleged to have committed the offence on Nov 18, 2025, at a condominium in Ampang.

The charge was framed under Section 12 of the Anti-Trafficking in Persons and Anti-Smuggling of Migrants Act 2007, which carries a maximum jail term of 20 years and a possible fine.

Deputy public prosecutor Norhidayah Abdullah Sani did not offer bail but proposed a high amount if the court was inclined to grant it.

She requested the additional condition that both accused report to the Ampang district police headquarters once a month.

Lawyer for the accused, Mohd Baharuddin Ahmad Kassim, appealed for bail on the grounds that the couple has three young children.

He stated one child suffers from respiratory problems and requires ongoing medical treatment.

“Both accused are civil servants attached to different government hospitals,” he said.

Judge Mohd Sabri later allowed bail of RM15,000 each with one surety, subject to the additional conditions set by the court.

The court fixed May 13 and 18 for further mention of the case and for the recording of the victim’s statement.

The couple will also face three additional related charges at the Ampang Court this Thursday.

 The Sun Malaysia