MAID SETS FIRE TO HOUSE, ESCAPES WITH CASH

KUALA TERENGGANU (Malaysia), Jan 6 (Bernama)-- An Indonesian maid set fire
to her employer's home in Telaga Daing, near here, the capital of east coast
state of Terengganu, before escaping with over RM500 (about US$147) and two
laptops Wednesday morning.

In the 10.30am incident, the 14-year-old known as Dinda from Palembang,
Indonesia, was believed to have started a fire in the bedroom of her employer's
child and the kitchen.

Intan Zunaidah Abdul Wahab, 40, could not believe that the teenager she
treated like a daughter would do such a thing.

"I was shocked when my husband called and said our terrace house was on
fire, and the first thing I told them was to break down the door as our maid was
inside.

"I was even more surprised when they said nobody was inside when my
neighbour managed to enter the house and put out the fire," she told reporters
when met at the scene.

She said her youngest daughter, 13, was at school for a prize giving
ceremony, while her husband, Mazli Mohamed,49, was at the office.

Intan Zunaidah said: "We treated her well during her stay and I considered
her like my own daughter because of their small age gap. They even sleep in the
same room."

Intan Zunaidah's brother, Zulkarnain, 35, found the maid an hour later with
the stolen items, wandering at the Kuala Terengganu Municipal Council bus
station, having planned on getting a ticket to Kuala Lumpur.

Meanwhile, Kuala Terengganu Fire and Rescue Department senior officer Kamal
Md Tan said upon arriving at the scene at 10.52am, the fire had been put out by
the public.
-- BERNAMA