Trial told 'strange' maid caused her own injuries

The trial of a Malaysian housewife accused of torturing her Indonesian maid hung in the balance yesterday as the judge considered a defence request for the alleged victim to undergo further medical and psychological examinations.

Lawyers for Yim Pek Ha argued the maid, Nirmala Bonat, 19, was mentally unstable and that her injuries were self-inflicted.

Yim, 36, faces up to 60 years in jail on three counts of causing grievous bodily harm to Ms Bonat between January and April.

'We have witnesses who will testify that Nirmala suffers from epilepsy and has demonstrated strange behaviour, like drinking her own urine,' said defence counsel Akbardin Kader.

Ms Bonat was examined by two teams of government doctors and a psychiatrist after she was found bleeding and distraught in May.

The doctors concluded that her injuries were consistent with being burned with a hot iron and scalded with boiling water.