Singapore— On Monday (Jan 25), Elizabeth Poh Chiew Lian pleaded guilty to two counts of causing hurt to one of the domestic helpers in her employ, as well as an assault charge toward another.
The 67-year-old-Poh was reported to the authorities in July of 2018 by one of her former helpers, Ms Munawaroh.
In the years leading up to 2018, Poh had pinched Ms Munawaroh on the arm, hit her on the back with a shoe, poured water over her, and called her such names as “stupid” and “idiot,” the straitstimes.com (ST) reported.
When Ms Munawaroh, age 40 and an Indonesian national, could stand her employer’s mistreatment no longer, she left Poh’s apartment in Pasir Ris on July 22, 2018.
She then went to the police and told them about Poh’s abusive behaviour.
Later, Poh hired a helper named Moe Moe San, 39, to replace Ms Munawaroh.
Poh allegedly continued to abuse the new domestic worker.
Moe Moe San, who is from Myanmar, told her brother about the mistreatment on March 8, 2019, and the police were told about it as well.
Poh has pleaded guilty to causing hurt to Ms Munawaroh as well as to a charge of assault involving Ms Moe.
For her sentencing, which will be on Feb 4, there are four other charges that will be taken into consideration.
Ms Kwang Jia Min, the Deputy Public Prosecutor on the case, has asked for a jail term of six weeks for Poh.
The DPP also asked for compensation for their suffering and lost income.
“Given that both victims suffered injury as a result of the offences, the prosecution submits that $500 is an appropriate amount for compensation for pain and suffering for each of the victim.”
Ms Kwang asked for over S$2,000 as compensation for loss of income.
ST reported that less than two weeks after Ms Munawaroh started working for Poh on June 2, 2018, the employer pinched the helper on the arm just because she failed “to perform her duties properly”.
The employer was also allegedly dissatisfied with the “work attitude” of the Indonesian helper.
Poh pinched her on the wrist on July 8, 2018 for this reason.
A fortnight later, Ms Munawaroh departed from her employer’s flat and filed a report with the police.
Regarding Poh’s treatment of Ms Moe, the DPP said that one week after she started working for Poh on March 1, 2019, the abuse started.
“The accused was angry at Moe for not knowing how to switch on and off the gas stove despite the accused teaching her how to do so multiple times.
Immediately after this gas stove incident, Moe was washing clothes in the toilet near the kitchen when the accused entered the toilet and got angry at the way Moe was washing the clothes,” said Ms Kwang.
Poh hit Ms Moe on her left upper arm, where she sustained a bruise.
The helper later told her brother of the incident, and they filed a police report.
-/TISG
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