JOHOR BARU (SIN CHEW DAILY/ASIA NEWS NETWORK) - A Singaporean monk, 53, from a temple in Kulai and his female companion, 46, were arrested by Malaysian police for allegedly assaulting an Indonesian maid after she refused to marry the monk, according to Sin Chew Daily.

The Kulai district police confirmed the case but clarified that the maid was injured in the head and not stabbed as claimed by some rumours.

The police said they received a report at 12.30am last Friday (May 6) when the maid said that a couple used their hands and a hammer to attack her, causing injuries to her head and parts of the body.

The incident reportedly took place last Thursday and the victim was a 23-year-old maid who worked at the temple.

She escaped from the temple at about midnight when the monk and his female companion were not watching her, and sought help from neighbours. A police patrol car passed by the area at that time, and the police helped her to file a report and seek treatment at the hospital.

The police detained the monk and his female companion in the afternoon after the maid filed the police report. The Indonesian consulate in Johor Baru was informed about the incident, and officials from the consulate arranged a place for the maid to stay after she received outpatient treatment at the hospital.

According to Sin Chew Daily, the monk was a controversial figure who moved to Kulai after staying in Skudai. He reportedly adopted a three-year-old girl and a baby boy, breaking the rule that a monk should not adopt a girl.

- Translated by Lim Ruey Yan