SINGAPORE: A woman who abused and hurt her helper in 2023 was sentenced to four weeks in jail on Thursday (March 6).
Noorwahidah Johari, 42, a permanent resident, pleaded guilty to two counts of using criminal force and another for voluntarily causing hurt to her Indonesian helper, 33-year-old Putri Rizki Amelia, in a case that made the news almost two years ago.
Four other charges against Noorwahidah were also taken into consideration, related to incidents when she swung a shoe at Ms Putri and threw several other objects at her, including trash, flour, and a cup of water.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has noted that Singapore has a record of strict enforcement against abuses of foreign domestic workers (FDWs). Under the city-state’s Penal Code, individuals who abuse helpers face higher penalties.
“The Court may sentence the abuser to 1.5 times the amount of punishment liable if the victim is an FDW. Those convicted will also be permanently barred from hiring FDWs,” MOM noted in 2018.
Ms Putri worked for Noorwahidah and her family in an HDB flat on Bukit Batok West Avenue 8 . She was hired in March 2023 by Noorwahidah’s husband.
Noorwahidah confronted Ms Putri on Sept 28, 2023, asking her why she did not put a bottle of soy sauce in the refrigerator. When the helper answered that the bottle was too big for the refrigerator, Noorwahidah grew angry and poured half the bottle of sauce over her head, according to a report in CNA. Noorwahidah then proceeded to empty the entire bottle over her head when the helper challenged her to do so.
Noorwahidah also asked Ms Putri in the same month to cut and clean some chilli, but after seeing some seeds remain, she asked the helper to clean it again.
When there were still seeds in the chilli after the second time they were cleaned, Noorwahidah threw the chilli at the helper, irritating her eyes.
The employer got upset with the helper again the following month after their couch smelled of urine. When Ms Putri said she washed the couch after Noorwahidah’s daughter urinated on it, the employer took the helper by the ear and twisted it.
By Oct 9, 2023, Ms Putri filed a police report, stating that the employer had been verbally and physically abusive and had threatened to make her pay $2,000 if she were to report her to MOM. Ms Putri also said she had been made to sleep in the kitchen. /TISG