KUALA LUMPUR - When Delima (not her real name) was told that she had secured a job as a domestic helper in Singapore, the Indonesian was elated.
Knowing that the job would be of great financial help to her family, the 25-year-old was willing to part with her elderly parents and siblings.
She was horrified when her employer turned out to be a pimp and her place of work and new home was a brothel in Bukit Bintang.
For weeks, she cried and even contemplated suicide.
Delima, from West Java, claimed to have been promised a lucrative salary by an agent called "Ibu Illy" to work abroad.
"I was locked in my room and was not allowed to go out. I was so depressed that I felt suicidal. The pimp warned me that the authorities would put me in jail," said Delima.
Another victim, Kasturi (not her real name) was also duped by "Ibu Illy", who told the 23-year-old she could work as a maid in Japan.
"That was why I was willing to leave my kampung. Never in my life did I want to be a prostitute.
"We were paid based on how many customers we had in a day. We were forced to entertain at least six to seven men daily.
"Even then, our pimp sometimes refused to pay us. We were also forced to work when we were sick," Kasturi added.
After a two-month ordeal, the two managed to make a distress call to the Indonesian embassy and they were rescued with the help of the police.
The pimp was arrested.
On Wednesday, the women arrived at a protection home managed by the Women, Community and Family Development Ministry.
All Delima and Kasturi want now is to go home to their villages.
"Our lives have been scarred and things will never be the same again," said Delima, who vowed to look for "Ibu Illy" and hand her over to the authorities.
Fifteen-year-old Marry (not her real name), paid a high price for trusting a friend.
The Kuching lass was asked to accompany Alice (not her real name) to a nearby hotel to meet an old acquaintance.
Marry, who worked at a restaurant refused to go but relented after much persuasion from Alice.
"When we arrived at the hotel, Alice left me in the room with her male friend, claiming that she wanted to accompany another friend, who was at the lobby, up to the room.
"When she left, the man told me that he had paid Alice RM95 (S$38) to have sex with me.
"When I refused, he forced himself on me," she said. "Hours later, Alice returned to the room and handed me RM25. My dignity was sold for that amount."
