PUBLISHED ONApril 03, 2025 8:40 AMByLim KeweiAfter receiving news that her mother had gone missing in the devastating Myanmar quake last Friday (March 28), a maid in Singapore asked to return home.
Her employers readily agreed and bought a plane ticket for her. They also gave the domestic helper an $800 red packet to support herself in Myanmar.
Employer Chen Huiqin (transliteration) told Shin Min Daily News that her helper had cried after learning that her 62-year-old mother had gone missing after the 7.7 magnitude earthquake struck the country.
"We felt that she should be with her family in tough times like this," said the 52-year-old obstetrician and gynaecologist.
Aside from the $335 flight ticket to Myanmar, Chen also prepared $800 in cash for her helper.
She explained: "She's only worked for six months and hasn't paid off her debt to the employment agency. She has no money, so I hope this sum can give her some support."
The maid agency, Best Home Employment, told the Chinese evening daily that they had verified the matter with their partners in Myanmar and learned that the helper's mother was likely to have perished in the quake.
"Due to this emergency situation, we decided to write off her loan. We also gave her $150 to tide her over and quickly sent her back home to reunite with her family," said the agency's director Tay Khoon Beng.
When contacted, Tay told AsiaOne on April 3 that they are glad that the helper has reunited with her family in Myanmar "and that she is able to do the needful for her mother's funeral".
Speaking to Shin Min at Changi Airport on April 1, the helper had expressed her despair over the situation as her mum was still missing then.
"But I'm very grateful to my employers and I think I'm very lucky to have met them," she added.
The 30-year-old university graduate had said that she hoped to be able to find her mother and stay in Myanmar to be with her family moving forward.
Chen and her helper both teared up when they bade farewell to each other, according to Shin Min.
Chen revealed that the helper had written her family a letter in English to thank them for their kindness.
In the letter, she also apologised for "only being able to work for six months" and wrote that she was "lucky to have met such a good employer".
"I [had] wanted to work for a long time... I will pray for the health and happiness of your family... Thank you for everything my employer."
As of April 3, over 3,000 people have been killed in the earthquake, reported Reuters. The devastating quake is reportedly the strongest to hit Myanmar in a century, with tremors causing damage to buildings in Bangkok.
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