In the quiet neighborhood of Commonwealth, some residents were rudely awakened from their slumber on Friday, November 3. The cause of this disturbance? A domestic helper, who had been living with her employers in Block 52 Commonwealth Drive, suddenly started shouting and throwing items down the block, according to Lianhe Zaobao.
The Unsettling Behavior
The commotion began when the 34-year-old domestic helper, whose identity remains undisclosed, started exhibiting strange behavior on Thursday night. The homeowner, Rahim, a 61-year-old resident, noticed that she had been talking to herself, which deeply unsettled him. He lives there with his maid and 76-year-old aunt.
In the dead of night, around 4 am, Rahim was jolted awake by a loud yell. Alarmed, he rushed to investigate and found that the domestic helper had locked herself in the master bedroom. Fearing for her safety and the well-being of others, he promptly dialed the police.
The maid only unlocked the door after the arrival of the police, continuing to shout and question why they were taking her away.
Rahim shared that her behaviour really scared him but thankfully his aunt was not with the maid at the time when the incident took place.
Responding to the emergency call, the Singapore Civil Defence Force arrived on the scene at approximately 5:15 am and transported the distressed woman to the National University Hospital. Simultaneously, the police were alerted to a woman throwing household items down from the high-storey flat at 5:12 am.
In the aftermath of the incident, the 34-year-old domestic helper was arrested under the Mental Health (Care and Treatment) Act 2008. This action was taken to ensure her safety and address her mental health concerns.
Cleanup Operation
A worker from the town council was seen cleaning up the mess after the incident, trying to take down some of the items that had gotten stuck on the building’s railings, including a pillow, stool and some clothes that were hanging on a tree.
The mess was just as bad inside the unit, with clothing racks, speakers, drawers and other household items being strewen all across the floor of the master bedroom and scattered on the ledge outside the window as well.
Background of the Helper
The maimd began working in July the previous year and had primarily been caring for Rahim’s elderly aunt. A few months prior to the incident, she had expressed a desire to return home to Indonesia and and even packed all her belongings one day.
Rahim shared that when he got home that day, he saw two bags on the floor and the maid said that she wanted to go home, but was rejected because he had signed a 2-year employment contract with her.
He added that he doesn’t know if that was the catalyst that triggered her mental breakdown, but now he doesn’t dare to let her return to work for him despite her contract still having a few months left to run.