KUALA LUMPUR, March 6 ― The Sungai Buloh double murder cum suicide took a new twist yesterday when a woman believed to be the sister of the maid, who had allegedly murdered two brothers, claimed the maid was not an illegal immigrant.

The Indonesian embassy's counsellor for consular affairs Dino Nurwahyudin told The Malay Mail the sister identified the maid's body at Sungai Buloh Hospital yesterday morning and claimed Agnes' real name was Ernesta Uto.

Sungai Buloh OCPD ACP Junaidi Bujang also confirmed that the maid's sister had identified her body.

Police have taken a blood sample from the sister to confirm the relationship but it will take three weeks to get the results.

“The sister Margareta Mau said Ernesta ― who is alleged to have murdered stepbrothers Koay Jia Hong, five, and 18-month-old Melvin Selvam Joseph — entered the country legally in 2008 and had worked with two other employers before working with the murdered boys' family.

“The sister said she and Uto entered Malaysia together and they both had work permits,” Dino said.

“Ernesta went back to her hometown in Nusa Tenggara Timur in 2012 to visit her husband and three-year-old son for two weeks. She came back to start work with the boys' family who was supposed to get her a work permit, but never did.”

Dino said, according to Margareta, Ernesta had always kept in touch with and sent money to her family in Indonesia. 

“However, since she started working for the boys' family, Margareta claimed her family had stopped receiving calls and money from Ernesta.”

He urged the Malaysian police to investigate these claims and to also look into the relationship between Ernesta and her employees because if the claims were true, it might give some answers on why she committed the horrendous act.”

Indonesian police attache to Malaysia Aby Nursetyanto said Margareta's husband was the one who came to the embassy to request permission to look at the body at the hospital.

“Both of them work here and had apparently came in together with Ernesta.

“I hope Malaysian police will investigate the case properly in light of the new information. They need to explore the possibility of her being murdered.”

Aby said Ernesta's body would be sent to her hometown in Lombok once the embassy obtained permission from the police.

The embassy had earlier claimed they were informed by police that the maid was working in Malaysia illegally.