The employer of a 26-year-old Burmese domestic helper who jumped from the fourth floor of a HDB flat after she tried, but failed, to stab her housemate, has to now foot the hefty hospital bill.

May Thu’s employer, a 51-year-old hawker, now faces a hospital bill of S$72,000 and the amount is increasing. May Thu escaped with her life, after three rounds of surgery and is currently recuperating in the intensive care unit (ICU).

Her domestic helper’s insurance only provided a payout of S$15,000, leaving her as the employer to foot the rest of it, May Thu’s employer told Shin Min Daily News. As much as she wants to help, she explained that she still has to pay S$500 a month for her mother’s accommodation in an old folk’s home, making it difficult for her to pay the bill with her earnings as a hawker.

According to a previous report on Shin Min Daily News, the domestic helper’s housemate had just finished taking a shower and came out, when May Thu attempted to stab her with a pair of scissors.

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The housemate managed to run away, with others in the house attempting to restrain her. However, she managed to break free and started running up and down the corridor, even hitting her head against the wall at one point.

The incident took place on Sunday morning (Aug 16) at Lorong 1 Toa Payoh.

In her fit, May Thu ran towards the end of the building and threw herself off the fourth storey ledge.

May Thu had renewed her contract back in December but grew depressed when she found out she couldn’t return home to Myanmar in April as promised. The flight had been cancelled due to the Covid-19 pandemic, but May Thu did not seem to understand, her employer told the Chinese daily.

Hoping to provide her with a positive change of environment, her employer paid S$140 for her to spend a week off resting at the maid agency’s dormitory.

According to the maid agency’s boss, several others who roomed with May Thu had attempted to socialise with her, but she often kept to herself. /TISG

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Read related: Domestic worker jumps from flat after failing to stab housemate