Police called to investigate alleged maid abuse
Shin Min Daily News - 35 mins ago
An alleged maid-abuse case surfaced yesterday in the west side. Policemen paid a visit to a flat located in Bukit Batok Street 33 yesterday morning.
A resident had alerted the police after a 20-year-old Indonesian maid quietly passed her a slip of paper saying that she is very helpless and has not been paid for the months of July and August.
The maid wrote in the note that she didn't know what to do and that nobody cares about her. She also mentioned that she often cries and wishes to call home but doesn't have the money to do so.
The resident who called the police said, "I heard that this maid may have been ill-treated. Recently, several maids have already committed suicide and I was afraid she might too, so I called the police."
The maid is said to be working for an old woman in her 80s. The two live together in the flat and the maid takes care of all the old woman's needs.
After the policemen left the unit, reporters of Shin Min Daily News immediately heard the maid being scolded by the old woman and the maid trying to explain and beg for forgiveness.
According to residents in the area, the maid often starves as she is only allowed two meals a day, with only vegetables and no meat.
The old woman is said to count all the bread and eggs in the house and makes sure that the maid does not eat any.
The old woman also keeps very close tabs on the maid during all her chores and often jabs her head while scolding her "blockhead".
The maid is said to have lost 10kg after a year of working for the old woman.
Source: Shin Min Daily News, 27 August 2011.
