LETTERS: There have been cases of Malaysian women being romantically involved with foreign workers.
Some left their families, married the men and followed them back to their country.
And then the true nature of these men surfaced, and the women faced problems with their partners.
What makes their situation hard is their passports were kept by the men, and they were forced into domestic servitude.
Some of the women escaped the clutches of the abusive partner and returned to Malaysia.
There are some who are languishing in homes or prisons in foreign countries. Most want to return home.
One case involves Mala Vello from Port Dickson, who left with her boyfriend for Nepal and was trapped and abused there, as reported by the New Straits Times.
After escaping from her abusive husband, she is now serving 7 years' jail in Nepal for overstaying her visa.
She has served two years of her sentence and her plight has come to the notice of our embassy.
Non-governmental organisations are working to bring Mala, a mother of seven, back home.
Her case is a lesson to women. They must think hard before going abroad to a new land.
Mala is lucky that her family has pursued her case, and her whereabouts are known.
It is heartbreaking to read reports that there are a few more Malaysian women who are in the same predicament as Mala.
SAMUEL YESUIAH
Seremban, Negri Sembilan
The views expressed in this article are the author's own and do not necessarily reflect those of the New Straits Times