Ms Zin Ei Phyu, 25, had been a helper to sixty-three-year-old Ang Poh Geok in late 2020 when the slapping incident occurred. On Oct 6 of that year, Ms Zin allegedly failed to pack some bags in a way that satisfied Ang. Ang then scolded Ms Zin and had the helper repeatedly slap herself.
While Ms Zin complied with the instruction to slap herself, this failed to appease Ang, who then told her to slap herself again even harder. Ms Zin ended up slapping herself thrice, after which Ang proceeded to mock her, having her repeat the words “got no brain” as “God keep already”.
Ms Zin did not tell anyone of the maltreatment she suffered at her employer’s hands, but a neighbour, concerned for the helper’s wellbeing, told the police that Ms Zin was being reprimanded daily.
When the police visited Ang’s flat, the woman admitted that she had been scolding the helper regularly.
“After assessing that the maid’s safety may be at risk if the accused’s conduct escalated, the police officers informed the accused that they would be making arrangements to (take) the victim away from the unit.
According to The Straits Times report, there was no other person aside from the two women at Ang’s apartment at Edgefield Plains at that time. Ms Zin’s nationality has not been disclosed in the reports.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Tan Yanying noted that “The accused did all these despite being aware that there was a CCTV camera in the unit which was able to capture her actions.”
In response, the accused repeatedly challenged the officers’ authority to (take) the victim away,” DPP Tan told the court. Ms Zin was taken away by the police shortly afterwards.
According to Ang’s lawyer, she had been diagnosed with adjustment disorder and was grieving her mother’s death the year before the incident occurred.
Ang received a one-month jail term after pleading guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to Ms Zin, who had worked in her household as a domestic helper.
“You have humiliated and degraded the victim,” Senior District Judge Bala Reddy told her before announcing her sentence.
Netizens commenting on the story condemned Ang’s treatment of Ms Zin. They also praised her neighbour for stepping in.
/TISG