JAKARTA -Indonesian maids are banned from working in Malaysia until the government can assure their safety, said Indonesia's Labour and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.

He added the move was being taken in response to the case where an Indonesian maid was allegedly abused by her employer in Penang on Sept 13.

He said action had to be taken to protect maids who went overseas to work despite not having valid documents because they risked abuse.

"As such, do not leave for Malaysia until your (the maids') safety is assured," he was quoted as saying in Denpasar, Bali, by the Kompas.Com news portal.

Besides Malaysia, the ban also applies to prospective maids heading for Kuwait and Jordan.

Muhaimin added that for the maids' safety, the Indonesian government wanted them to hold their own passports and be registered with the nearest Indonesian embassy or consulate office.

He also asked maid agencies in the republic to do their part to ensure maids sent by them to work overseas were adequately protected.

Indonesian maid Winfaedah, 26, from Lampung, was reported to have been physically and sexually abused by her employer and his wife for months before being dumped by the roadside in Nibong Tebal, about 40km from her employer's home on Penang island.

A local resident helped her lodge a police report before she was admitted to hospital for treatment.

The Indonesian government had expressed its appreciation to Malaysian police for their quick in action in arresting the suspects involved. - Bernama