April—September 2007

Volume Q2/07

Experience In Malaysia

· Their passports were kept by Lili ( Ah Ping’s wife), she  took their passports from them when they reached Malaysia the first day because she told them that there are many ‘dark’ people (dark=bad, in China they never see different races) around, thus it is better for Lili to keep the passports.

· Lili (Ah Ping’s wife) has the power over Ah Ping and Ah Shu, she is the big boss, and had a say in everything

· There were eight people living in the three rooms unit at eighth floor (the highest floor). There is one wooden door, one gate which having two pad locks to lock up. Windows were also being locked up tightly. They provided cooking utensils, one fan in each room, mattress, whereas there were no TV, washing machine, nor radio in the house.

· The pimps did the marketing weekly and twice a week when they were in good mood. Sometimes the pimps would leave the fridge totally empty for three days so as to punish them for not earning money (no business). The pimps told them to ask the customer for tips. They were given RM50 weekly but according to the pimps the money was lent to them, will be deducted from their income.

· They were told that they need to serve customers for 180 days in order to pay back their ‘debt’. In the 180 days they must serve at least one customer a day.

· When they have menstruation, they can be given seven days for resting. They needed  to prove that they were having their menstruation if the pimps were in doubt (use cotton stick to insert into the vagina to get sample)

· Their schedule was as follows:

· 5pm    Prepare themselves (make-up, dress-up).

· 6pm    Set off (two cars, one in blue and the other in white) to KL for business.       

· 6am    Prepare to go back.

· 7am    Reach home

· They were often gathered in the same place (a makeshift restaurant near factory) waiting for customers. Eight of them were separated in two tables (to avoid public’s suspicious) in the same restaurant.

· Customers would contact the pimps and a few of them would be driven to that particular place (factory, private housing or motel) for the customers to choose. After that, they would be driven back to the same restaurant. When that girl finished her business, pimps would drive the girls in the same group to pick her up.

· The charges were between RM90 to RM250 depending on the affordability of the clients. The clients were told that they should not let the girls off, otherwise they need to pay RM10, 000 for each girl that ran away. Thereafter the service, the clients were required to contact the pimps and make sure that the girl is returned to them ‘safely’. There were associates of the pimps that would guard the doors outside. After that, they will ask Ah Shu or Ping for commission.

 

Women’s Aid Organisation (WAO)

INROADS

Page 9

· They were many associates to the pimps- ‘sub-pimps’ (around 20 of them) around KL area, normally middle-aged mixed with men and women.

· Each of them carried a small bag with condom (more than 10 pieces), syringe, moisturizer (for vagina), mouthwash liquid (to be used after oral sex), and make-up. 

· Too much moisturizer and condom caused infection to vagina.

· Per session: 45 min to one hour. Their customers aged from 15 to 70 plus years old. Li has served more than 200 customers, Li R. has served 100 customers and Wang has served 70 to 80 customers.

What made them an easy victim

· Ignorant. It was very difficult to get access to up-to-date information, they have only two local TV stations in their village.

· The syndicate people would make them believe that it is everybody has this kind of chance, it is ‘lucky’ that they are being ‘picked’. And they really believe so and never doubt about the statement.

· When asked whether this ‘cycle’ can be broken through? Three of them have strong reservation due to their strong conservative culture in the village. When they go back they would not mention a single word about their prostitution out of fear and shame. They just want to start afresh their lives after going back and lead a ‘normal’ life in future. They would keep their unpleasant experience in Malaysia into the inner side of their memory box.

3 documented cases of trafficked women who sought shelter at the WAO Refuge (cont.)