KUALA LUMPUR, June 17: A 33-year-old Indonesian maid knotted pieces of cloth and used it as a rope to lower herself from a 15th storey condominium in Malaysia to escape alleged abuse, a report said on Sunday.

The maid, identified as Shamelin, attempted the daring escape through the window of the building as the main door was locked by her employer, but got cold feet after descending three floors.

“I stopped at the 12th floor after I looked down and realised how high up I was,” she was quoted as saying by the New Straits Times newspaper.

Condominium residents who spotted Shamelin immediately alerted fire fighters who rescued her.

Shamelin, from Sumatra island, claimed that her employer had abused her since she started work five months ago.

“If I make a mistake, she gives me nothing to eat. She has hurt me so many times by beating me,” the Indonesian maid told the news agency.

The employer was not at home during the incident. Shamelin said her employer would lock her in when she went out.

“All I want now is to return home,” she said. Police are investigating the incident.

Malaysia depends heavily on foreign maids but they enjoy little protection under labour laws. The maids often live in and work long hours under tough conditions to earn about $100 a month.—AFP