A Malaysian court today sentenced a woman to 18 years in jail for scalding her Indonesian maid with a hot iron in a case that sparked outrage over the treatment of Indonesian workers.

Labour-short Malaysia is home to up to two million foreign workers, mostly from Indonesia, taking up jobs from maids to construction workers and plantation labourers.

A sessions' court in the capital Kuala Lumpur found Yim Pek Ha, a 40-year-old housewife and mother of four, guilty of three counts of causing hurt to Nirmala Bonat about four years ago, the Bernama news agency said.

Yim will appeal against the verdict which her lawyer called "excessive".

"Nirmala Bonat has been consistent in her statements that her lady boss injured her, from the time she was found by a security guard," judge Akhtar Tahir said.

He said Yim had committed "sadistic behaviour" which cannot be tolerated in civil society.

Indonesia, which has asked Malaysia to do more to protect its workers in this country, said it was pleased with the ruling. "This will serve as a deterrent to future cases," said Eka Suripto, a Indonesian diplomat in Kuala Lumpur.

Bonat's plight even drew the attention of Indonesian President Susilo Bambang Yudhoyono and led to street protests outside the Malaysian embassy in Jakarta.

Bonat, who was 19 years old then, suffered burns and bruises over much of her body. She has since left Malaysia.