Maid Abuse in Singapore

Rhonda SG

Isn't it atrocious?

We're a nation with the majority of its populace having gone through basic education, and an increasing %age having at least a 1st basic degree.

And yet, we have citizens who abuse their maids! Mad The guilty come from all walks of life - from hawkers to Office Executives.

Whatever made these educated folks abuse a human being? Is it the disgusting, arrogant idea that they are 'smarter' and 'superior' than their maids and therefore, they lord it over the poor maid, becoming impatient with her and abusing her? Nothing excuses abusive actions!

Today, in the newspapers, a Malay housewife has been sentenced to 10 months imprisonment for abusing her maid for a total of 10 months! Her husband seems like a decent chap - works at a mosque, volunteers with the Red Cross and even went to Indonesia to help out post-tsunami. He must be disappointed with his wife.

Poor maid. So what if we're developed and advanced if we don't have an iota of humanity left in us?

FireIce SG

then again, there are maids tt throw babies down the chute, kill the old man, poison the ah ma and burn the poor kid with hot iron........

maid abuse in HK oso quite common.........
maid kill employer in HK is oso not a shock anymore....

NT2 SG

The husband is trying to do good deeds to atone for his wife's sins Laughing

but the news seemed to show the picture of tt lady...her eyes very 'hiong' leh

Ray2 SG

i have 2 observations:-

1) it is unbelievable that the maids don't have proper off days.

2) parents in singapore do not discipline their kids so much so that even the kids are behaving like little masters over the maids, quite poor thing.

Rhonda SG

I've seen how people treat their maids, and even how spoilt children are disrespectful and mean to the maids. A lot of them are very badly treated by their employers and it's not hard to see why a few of them would crack under such circumstances. Not condoning their misdeeds, but saying that sometimes, they've been abused till breaking point. Sad

I've witnessed how a patient's relative made her maid stay put at the hospital 24/7!! Shocked The poor maid sleeps in a small couch, all curled up and sooo uncomfortable, every single night! And every few hours, she has to wake up and check on the patient, even though the patient is asleep and there's nothing she can do. She bathes in the hospital, eats, sleeps, lives her life in hospital 24/7 and does not step out of it until the patient is released!!

Mad

I felt sooo sorry for the inhumane treatment she suffers that on my shift, I often get her to go to sleep, assuring her I'll wake her up if her employer turns up.

I was sooooo tempted to report her employer!! Evil or Very Mad

Rhonda SG

I've seen kids slap / hit a maid repeatedly! The poor maid looked like she was about to cry but the kid just continued, thinking it's a 'game' and worse, the parents just sat there, acting as if nothing happened! Evil or Very Mad

I've also seen kids scolding their maids! They yelled, 'Why are you so STUPID, har? Like that also don't know!' And I was Surprised Shocked Shocked . Worse, the bloody parents actually looked PLEASED that their kids are so obnoxious!! They probably have some skewed thinking that their kids are going to grow up to be assertive leaders or something!! Shocked Evil or Very Mad

And yes, maids have it bad here - low wages, sooo few rest days, and abuse!

fudgester SG

Singapore has once been described as a 'killing ground for maids'.

That's an exaggeration, but not by much either, methinks.

Seriously, would it really kill the employers to give their maids a day off once a week? Can those freaking employers themselves work seven days a week, 365 days a year for several years without a single day off? If their answer is 'no', then I'd say they are total hypocrites for saying that maids don't deserve days off.

As for the maid abusers in general... I don't care what their motivation to abuse their maids were. You are not expected to treat your maids like queens, but you're not expected to treat them like trash either. If you can't respect another human being and treat her nicely, then you deserve to get jail. That woman who abused her maid fully deserved what she got. She gets no pity from me whatsover.

I only pity her children who has to go without their mummy for the next few months.

Rhonda SG

fudgester, glad you think that way!

You're right, there's absolutely nothing that can justify abusive actions!

And yet, these people think nothing of working their maids ragged! Mad

OH-FF SG

Foreign Domestic Workers(FDW) are commonly unfamilliar with the environment and cultural shock of living in Singapore. They come here with the least of social life as the only social circles are the employers and hopefully neighbour's FDW's.

Some may have been polluted by previous FDW's stories who have returned to their countries or are sisters of FDW's who have been sent home.

So there will be a need to build a new circle of trust with the FDW who is to work for you.

People are people and many people in cities live such a hectic lifestyle that they think that having the capability to own a Worker gives them the right to be Bossy and abuse workers the way they felt their bosses abuse them.

Rhonda SG

I have a suspicion that many employers come home after a stressful day at work and take it out on their maids.

Imagine, their kids are probably observing how they treat the maids. Maybe, that's how some of the spoilt brats learn not to respect people. Razz Bad, bad example!

Rhonda SG

Let's adopt the 'put ourselves in their shoes' stance. Now, look around you at the way employers and children treat the maids. Do you think you can tolerate that kind of treatment? Razz

If we can't, what makes us think that it's ok for the maid to go through that?

laurence82 SG

My frens dont mistreat their maids, but dang, they are frightfully thin.

My friends and i made a joke that the bigger the house, the thinner the maid.

Laughing

Rhonda SG

Razz Laughing

Rhonda SG

Let's discuss this from another angle.

If you have a colleague who has been exposed for maid abuse, how would you start to feel / treat him/her?

dragg SG

i think it is all stress related.

kops21 SG

my maid is getting fatter... Laughing

laurence82 SG

Abuse him or her back? Twisted Evil

okok

I think, if he or she regrets it, then let go. If its his innate nature to abuse somebody, get him a shrink.

stellazio SG

my maid with me for the 15 years liao..next week going back for vacation wah jialat,looks like its packed food for me everyday.. Laughing

Rhonda SG

My grandparents' maid too! Razz

Not just getting fatter, but also becoming more fashionable! Laughing My family brings her out with us almost every weekend for a good meal. Dad loves to drive us around the island in search of good food and distance has never been an issue to him!

The maid eats what we eat... and more!

The maid looks up to my mom, who's well-groomed. Mom buys her clothes now and then and lately, notices that the maid has started to colour-coordinate her clothes too, so cute! Laughing

When mom told me that she gave the maid a DKNY watch, I was Surprised Exclamation

The maid's cute too...she boasts to the other maids in the neighbourhood about her good treatment and dad even had the neighbour's maid come up to him and whisper that when our maid leaves, can she please transfer to work for us! Laughing

Rhonda SG

stella, I hope that you do a bit of housework even though you have a maid.

Or, are you one of those spoilt kids who can't even get themselves a glass of water? Razz