Migration Jurisprudence from the South › Malaysia
Public Prosecutor v. Ambika M.A. Shan (death of Adelina Lisao)
High Court, Penang (Malaysia) · Malaysia · 2019-04-18 · National court
Citation: [case number to be added]
Type of case: Criminal
Outcome: Decided against the migrant side
Question
Should the trial of the employer accused of the murder of an Indonesian domestic worker go ahead?
What the court decided
The court granted a discharge amounting to acquittal after the prosecution withdrew; later appeals did not restore the charge. [Check appellate history.]
In plain language
Adelina, a young Indonesian domestic worker, died in Malaysia after being made to sleep outside with a dog and left with untreated wounds. The employer was freed when the prosecution dropped the case, causing protests in both countries.
Dalam bahasa sederhana
Adelina, pekerja rumah tangga muda Indonesia, meninggal di Malaysia setelah dipaksa tidur di luar bersama anjing dan lukanya tidak dirawat. Majikan dibebaskan saat jaksa mencabut perkara, memicu protes di kedua negara.
Pertanyaan: Apakah persidangan majikan yang didakwa membunuh pekerja rumah tangga Indonesia harus dilanjutkan?
What happened afterwards
- 2018-02: Worker dies.
- 2019-04-18: Discharge amounting to acquittal.
- later: Prosecution appeals. [Check outcome.]
Sources
Open this decision in the interactive collection (compare, filter, Indonesian view, downloads).
Cite as: Institute for Migrant Rights (2026), Migration Jurisprudence from the South, version 0.1, https://theimr.org/court-decisions/d/my-adelina-2019/. This page summarizes a court decision for research and advocacy; it is not legal advice.