Most of us have heard of irresponsible people who dump their unwanted pets when they’ve decided they can’t take care of them any more.
However, this could be the first time we’ve heard of an employer “dumping” their domestic helper when they wanted to relieve her of her services.
A Singapore woman did just that, bringing her unfortunate helper to Batam before leaving her alone on the island — just because she didn’t make breakfast.
Source: Google Maps
The employer was fined S$13,000 for that, and for making her work illegally at her fish soup stall.
Hong Xuanyu, a 51-year-old Singaporean, started employing Indonesian domestic helper Islahatul Alif in February 2018, according to court documents seen by The Straits Times (ST).
Hong Xuanyu. Source: Shin Min Daily News on Facebook
At about 7.30am on 28 Apr 2018, she got angry with Ms Islahatul as she didn’t prepare breakfast.
She later told the helper that she would be sending her home to Surabaya, Indonesia, for a “holiday”.
The helper initially declined, worried that her employer was going to replace her.
But Hong persuaded her to go, saying she wouldn’t replace her.
Hong took a ferry to Batam that same day with Ms Islahatul.
On their way there, the Singaporean handed her helper S$350 — minus the ticket cost — as her salary.
When they reached the island before 6pm, Hong told Ms Islahatul to take a cab to the airport and fly home to Surabaya herself on her own dime.
But she neglected to give her any cash for the travel expenses.
Instead, Hong returned to Singapore by ferry, leaving her helper in Batam on her own.
Source: Google Maps
Unbeknownst to Ms Islahatul, Hong had earlier called a friend and asked them to help cancel her work permit.
It was cancelled immediately, but Hong didn’t return the work permit to her now-former helper.
Left alone in Batam, which is more than 1,300km away from Surabaya, Ms Islahatul became worried.
As her handphone battery had died, she had no way to contact her loved ones.
Thankfully, she managed to borrow a phone from a taxi driver and called her agent in Singapore.
The agent helped her find accommodation in Batam with a friend, and Ms Islahatul subsequently returned to Singapore on 2 May 2018.
In court on Friday (25 Aug), Hong pleaded guilty to two charges.
The first was failing to repatriate her helper to her hometown under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
Secondly, Hong was also charged with employing her helper in her food stall even though she did not have a valid pass.
Before “dumping” her in Batam, Hong made Ms Islahatul work at her stall in Jurong Point selling fish soup.
The court heard that she did this almost every day for around three weeks.
For her offences, Hong was fined S$13,000.
A prosecuting officer for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) described her as having “failed in her duty as an employer”.
Not only did she not accord a basic level of human dignity to her helper, but she also “treated her like chattel to be discarded” when it was too much trouble to keep her, the officer said.
Hopefully, Ms Islahatul has recovered from her ordeal and will find a better employer.
Also read: Police Officer On Trial For Fatal Abuse Against Myanmar Helper, Allegedly Tried Removing Evidence
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Featured image adapted from Shin Min Daily News on Facebook and Google Maps.
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