“No doubt the people in Indonesia and the victim’s family will be shocked but we respect the final outcome,” he said.

Hermono said a life had been lost and nobody had been held responsible for the death.

He said the “ordinary man” in his country and the family would not understand the workings of the law here, and they would see the death only from a “human perspective”.

“It is difficult to accept as it was a tragic death,” he told reporters after attending the Federal Court proceeding today together with Indonesia’s consul-general in Penang, Bambang Suharto, and embassy officers.

A three-member bench chaired by judge Vernon Ong said trial judge Akhtar Tahir had exercised his discretion in giving S Ambika, 62, an acquittal.

Ambika was accused of murdering Adelina Lisao, 28, at her home in Medan Kota Permai 2, Bukit Mertajam, on Feb 10, 2018.

The High Court in George Town had acquitted her on April 18, 2019 although the prosecution had requested a discharge not amounting to an acquittal (DNAA).

The Court of Appeal affirmed Ambika’s acquittal in 2020.

Human rights group Tenaganita had questioned the AGC’s earlier decision to drop the murder charge.

Some 30,000 people had also signed a petition seeking answers from the prosecution.

Hermono said the long legal journey to seek justice for Lisao had not come to an end.

“We are looking into other possibilities like filing a civil suit. We will refer this matter to higher-ups in Jakarta and our lawyers,” he said, adding that someone must be held responsible for her death.

He said the embassy would also be keeping vigilant on incidents of maid abuse here, which he said continued to happen.

“Just yesterday, there was a case in Damansara,” he added.