A MAN and his mother-in-law were charged in a magistrate's court on Tuesday with maid abuse.

Stanley Kuah Kian Chong, 37, a bank executive, faces two charges while Teng Chen Lian, 66, has six charges against her name.

Both are Malaysians.

Kuah is said to have punched the forehead and slapped the cheeks of his 23-year-old Indonesian maid, Ms Susilawati Kusnata, at his Pasir Ris flat on July 4 last year.

He is also alleged to have sprayed detergent onto her wound on both her palms on June 16. Another charge accuses him of punching the maid on the forehead, pulling her hair and banging her head on the wall one morning last Apri.

Teng's charges include using a pair of chopsticks to poke Ms Kusnata on the back of her neck; kicking her and slapping her on the back of her head.

The alleged abuses occurred between May and July 5 last year.

Bail of $10,000 was offered to each of them.

Mr S. Radakrishnan applied for the case to be adjourned to make representations.

They will be back in court on March 25.

If convicted, Kuah and Teng can be fined up to $1,500 or jailed for up to 18 months or both on each charge.