“This is outright inhumane,” Singaporean slammed online for asking if “HDB bomb shelter” is suitable for a helper to live in

SINGAPORE: A Singaporean has been slammed online for asking if an HDB bomb shelter would be a suitable place for a helper to live in.

Posting on r/SingaporeRaw on Wednesday (Jul 14), the Singaporean shared a short virtual tour of the HDB bomb shelter, revealing how cramped and tiny it is.

The video showed that the bed is positioned in the upper part of the room, accessible only by a narrow set of wooden stairs. Below the bed, there’s a small empty area and shelves at the far end.

The caption of the video read, “HDB bomb shelter with loft bed for helper liveable?”

HDB bomb shelter with loft bed for helper liveable?
byu/karotch inSingaporeRaw

Many criticized the Singaporean for questioning whether such a restrictive and minimal space could be considered adequate for a helper.

One netizen asked, “Is it legal in the first place? To me this is inhuman by giving the maid a windowless room. How can they perform well if you don’t treat them properly?”

Another echoed this sentiment and said, “The maid came to clean your home lei, not to serve a prison sentence. I personally don’t believe in “being friends with a maid”, but this is outright inhumane.”

A third netizen expressed, “Can they be reported for this?, this is bloody inhumane..that small space with no windows! Why don’t they try sleeping in there..idk if these people are just stupid or pure evil, but whats clear is that they dont view the helper as a human being.

“There should be an entity set up to do surprise checks on people who engage helpers and certain rules put in place with regards to their living conditions FFS!”

Others went even further, calling the idea of having a helper live in such a cramped room “borderline abusive.” They argued that the space is so small and poorly designed that adding a fan would barely make a difference. The bomb shelter’s limited ventilation and its insulating walls would make the room uncomfortably stuffy, regardless of any additional cooling measures.

Additionally, some people pointed out that the helper would struggle to get in and out of bed because the space between the bed and ceiling is extremely limited.

One netizen remarked, “The space from bed to ceiling is as good as a coffin.”

Another netizen added, “She can’t even sit up on the mattress.”

Read also: Local landlord advertises bomb shelter for rent, $650/month