Backed off
"That's when the men backed off," Mr Zhuang said. Miss Qin and Miss Xu's companions also left the scene quickly, said Mr Long. Mr Zhuang said he then called the police, who arrived and took the women away to Bedok Police Divisional Headquarters.
A police spokesman confirmed that the women were arrested in the early hours of Thursday near Geylang Lorong 15. They were suspected to be illegal immigrants. He said the employer produced the relevant travel documents subsequently.
Miss Qin and Miss Xu were released to Mr Zhuang around 9am yesterday. When The New Paper team arrived at the Bedok Police Divisional HQ, the women were being taken to the airport by a four-person repatriation escort detail hired by Mr Zhuang.
The women had no chance to say goodbye to anyone here or even to pack their belongings. "You can only make one phone call," a female escort told them. On the expressway to the airport, Miss Qin hurriedly gave instructions in Mandarin to an unknown man over her mobile phone.
"Pack our bags, keep them light and take them to the airport," she said. "Don't forget the stuff we bought while shopping at 'si ma lu' (Waterloo Street). If you want to see me, come quickly." Is the man on the line a compatriot, a friend or a lover? Miss Qin would only say: "Why do this to us? We are not bad women."
When they boarded the plane, which took off for Macau at 11.15am, neither the man on the phone nor the women's luggage was in sight. Mr Zhuang's nightclub has about 10 women KTV singers from China. They earn $1,200 to $1,500 monthly, plus tips from customers.
Would he recruit women from China again after this experience? Mr Zhuang said: "I will still hire China girls. Very few from Hong Kong and Taiwan want to come here because they feel that the market here is not good enough.
"It is hard to get local girls to work in nightclubs. What else can I do?"