Burnt, Beaten, Starved: This Man Was Tortured By His Johorian Boss For Missing His Targets
Absolutely horrifying.
By Sadho Ram — 15 Jan 2017, 07:35 PM
Last year, he took a job as car accessories salesman-cum-workshop assistant at a car workshop in Taman Johor Jaya, Johor Bahru
At the workshop, during the day he would work as a mechanic, and in the evenings, he would sell car accessories for his boss under a makeshift tent in Taman Perling.
However, Firdaus didn't know what was in store for him — if he failed to meet the daily sales target of between RM150 and RM200
Firdaus' employer, who was a long-time friend from school and was also known to the family, would punch him if he failed to achieve the daily sales target, according to his mother 56-year-old Jumiah Otto.
According to The Star Online, the employer also warned him not to use money from any accessory sale to buy food for himself.
"I don't think he got any salary at all. That is why he had no choice but to use the sales money to feed himself," his mother told The Star Online.
When punching and starving Firdaus wasn't enough, the employer used a water hose and a cane on the 21-year-old
Firdaus had not returned home in the past two months and the family had believed that he was busy with work. He was found on Wednesday, 11 January, in a lifeless and in a state of near collapse at his employer's rented shophouse in Taman Johor Jaya.
Jumiah claimed that her son lost a lot of weight from being starved. His weight had dropped from 90kg to 70kg in three months, The Star Online reported.
"We believe Firdaus, who is a dedicated worker, was starved and locked up in a storeroom in the shophouse," his mother told The Star Online.
"He told me about some of his bad experience including on how he was tortured by his employer. He said that whenever he could not meet the sales target for the car accessories, his employer would get angry," she added.
The employer even burnt parts of his body with a hot exhaust pipe
After being repeatedly questioned by his siblings, Firdaus confessed to being burnt on the soles of his feet with an exhaust pipe by his employer.
Photos of Firdaus and his torture marks were posted on Facebook by some of his siblings, which went viral, prompting a public outcry.
According to his mother, people had seen Firdaus begging and crying for help during these torture sessions. However, an action was only taken after his step-sister Norazlin Yusof ran into him on Saturday, 7 January, at the makeshift tent where he was selling car accessories.
Firdaus' frail figure made his step-sister completely shocked. But she was taken aback when she wanted him to come home with her, he refused, reportedly afraid of the dire consequences should his boss come to find out that he left the tent.
Following which, she decided to report the incident to the police, and after investigations, the workshop address was uncovered.
According to Norazlin, since the time he has been back, he has hardly spoken.
The police have registered a case under Section 324 of the Penal Code for causing hurt with a dangerous weapon. Firdaus is recuperating at the Sultan Ismail Hospital. Meanwhile, the police are looking for the boss and his wife, who are at large.
According to a report in The Star, the husband and wife have eluded the police so far.
"We have been to their house but they were not there. We also went to their family’s house in Mersing but they were also not there," Supt Jokhiri Abdul Aziz told The Star.
He added that police would step up efforts to look for the 30-something couple, who are believed to have left their house here either on 10 or 11 January.
