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Nirmala Bonat,  the Indonesian maid at the centre of an abuse case that stunned Malaysia, will come face to face with her alleged tormentor when the trial of Yim Pek Ha starts today.

Yim, a 36-year-old housewife and mother of three, is charged with three counts of causing grievous bodily harm to  Ms Bonat, 19, by scalding her with a hot iron and with boiling water.

The Australian-educated Yim who was born to a wealthy family faces up to 60 years in jail if found guilty.

Yim lives in the upscale Villa Putera condominium in the city, from where a bleeding  Ms Bonat escaped on May 19 and sought the help of passers-by.

Ms Bonat, who  had  burns on her chest, back, arms and legs, said  yesterday her injuries  had healed but she was still  having nightmares.

'I can't sleep well,' she said. 'But I have no fear of facing her  and I hope the trial is over soon because I am really homesick. I miss my village in Kupang.' But lawyers said the trial, initially fixed for three days, could drag on.

Yim, who pleaded not guilty when charged on May 22, was released on M$85,000 (HK$174,000) bail on July 19 because she suffers from asthma and hypertension.

But the judge barred  her from leaving the capital or hiring a maid.

Since her dramatic escape,  Ms Bonat has been staying in a hostel within the Indonesian embassy.

Photographs of her burnt body provoked an outcry  in Malaysia and  Indonesia. The case  led to legal changes to better protect foreign maids and a new  agreement between  the countries to crack down  on  employment agents blamed for trafficking in under-age girls.

Human rights activists also say that since Ms Bonat's case came to light, both the Indonesian embassy and the Malaysian police have taken maid-abuse cases seriously.

Several employers have been charged  with abuse and Yim  is the first to go  to trial.

Officially there are 246,000 registered foreign maids working in Malaysia, 90 per cent of whom come from Indonesia.

Activists say wages and work conditions have not improved much, with maids working seven days a week for as little as M$350 a month.



Brutalised maid to face alleged tormentor