Hawker fined $13,000 after abandoning maid in Batam

A Singaporean female employer has been fined $13,000 for abandoning her domestic helper in Batam.

The reason?

The helper, Islahatul Alif failed to prepare breakfast one morning. 

Yesterday (Aug 25), Lianhe Zaobao reported that Hong Xuanyu, a hawker stall owner, had been fined the heavy sum after pleading guilty to two charges of violating the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

The Indonesian helper, Islahatul worked for Hong from February 4 to April 28, 2018.

From February to March that year, Islahatul was ordered to work at Hong's fish soup stall which violated the law as helpers are only allowed to do housework at their employer's home.

On the morning of April 28, Hong was "angry" and confiscated the helper's phone because she "did not make breakfast".

Hong told her that she would send her back to her hometown in Surabaya for a 10-day vacation via Batam. Surabaya is located 1,300km away from Batam.

Islahatul initially refused as she was worried that she would be fired, but Hong reassured her that she would not be replaced. The pair then took a ferry from the Singapore Cruise Centre to Batam.

On the journey there, Hong returned her mobile phone, but deducted the price of the ferry ticket from Islahatul's salary, leaving her with around $350.

[[nid:643358]]

Upon arrival, she then instructed the helper to take a taxi to the airport and fly back to Surabaya before abandoning her in Batam. She did not provide any funds to cover the cost of the air ticket and taxi.

Additionally, Hong kept Islahatul's work permit card and asked a friend to cancel the work permit through the latter's Singpass account that very day.

On the other hand, Islahatul was left helplessly stranded far away from home with a dead mobile phone.

With the help of a taxi driver, she managed to call her employment agency back in Singapore with his phone, and managed to arrange a place to stay in Batam until she was brought back to Singapore on May 2, 2018.

The Ministry of Manpower launched an investigation after being notified by her agency.

syarifahsn@asiaone.com