KUALA LUMPUR (AP):

A Malaysian court sentenced an Indonesian maid to 15 years in jail yesterday for attempted murder and abuse of a four-month-old baby by violently tossing him around like a doll, a report said.

National television showed closed-circuit video footage of the 24-year-old maid sitting down, flipping the boy into the air and throwing him repeatedly on to a mat on the floor.

The incident last Friday sparked public outrage in Malaysia, which relies heavily on foreign maids for household tasks.

The Sessions Court sentenced the maid, Yuliana, who uses one name, to 15 years in jail for attempted murder and another five years for abusing the baby after she pleaded guilty to both charges, the national Bernama news agency reported. The judge ordered the jail terms to run concurrently.

The baby's mother, Nina Suraya, earlier told The Star newspaper she was having breakfast nearby when she saw the incident on her mobile phone, which was linked to the video camera. The maid had only worked for the family for a day at the time.

The baby was treated for bruises and swelling at a hospital and then released, but Nina Suraya said she remains concerned about possible internal injuries. She was quoted as saying she will never hire a maid again.

Some 230,000 foreign maids, mostly Indonesians, work in Malaysia.