63-year-old Ang Poh Geok was sentenced to 1-month imprisonment after pleading guilty to one count of voluntarily causing hurt to her maid, Zin Ei Phyu.
Ang had accused the maid of failing to pack some bags properly and made the 25-year-old slap herself three times.
The incident happened on 6 October 2020 when the two of them were alone at Ang’s home in Edgefield Plains.
Ang scolded the maid for not packing the bags satisfactorily, and the maid then repacked the bags silently, but Ang was still not happy.
She then ordered the maid to slap herself, to which the latter then complied.
Unsatisfied with the slap, Ang told the maid to slap herself again which the victim complied with the second and third times.
Ang then mocked the victim and told her to say that she “got no brain” because “God keep already,” and she finally stopped after the maid repeated the words that she was told to say.
The whole incident was captured on CCTV at the unit, which was played in court yesterday (20 December).
The maid felt pain but didn’t seek attention because she was afraid of reprisals, and thus she kept it to herself.
The truth came to light when a concerned neighbour alerted the police to the maid being scolded every day, and when officers visited Ang’s home the next day, they found the maid with tears in her eyes and looking scared.
Ang was then questioned by the police and she then admitted to scolding the victim regularly.
The police assessed that the maid’s safety would be at risk if Ang’s conduct escalated, and they then told And that they would be arranging to take the victim away from the unit.
And then repeatedly challenged the police’s authority to take the maid away.
The police then escorted the maid away from the unit while making arrangements for her to stay somewhere else, as the maid’s agent was uncontactable at the time.