A Singaporean food stall owner, 51-year-old Hong Xuanyu, left her Indonesian domestic helper, Ms Islahatul Alif, stranded in a foreign land after duping her into a fake vacation, according to The Straits Times.
She was fined $13,000 on 25 August after pleading guilty to 2 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
The Deceptive Scheme Unveiled
The incident followed a disagreement between Hong and the maid, Ms Islahatul over breakfast preparation. Hong was angry at her for not preparing breakfast on 28 April 2018 at about 7.30am.
Later that afternoon, Hong told the maid that she was going to send her for a holiday in Surabaya for 10 days, but the maid rejected the offer because she was scared that she would be replaced if she went back.
Hong convinced her that she was not going to replace her and insisted on the holiday, which the maid then agreed.
Hong then took the maid to the Singapore Cruise Centre, before asking a friend to cancel the maid’s work permit that very day.
She then passed the maid her salary of about $350 (minus the ferry cost) while on the way to Batam.
However, instead of returning her to Surabaya, Hong left Ms Islahatul stranded in Batam, which is significantly distant from her actual home.
She told the maid to take a taxi and fly back to Surabaya, without giving her money for the taxi ride or flight home, and she also didn’t return the maid’s work permit card.
The domestic helper found herself abandoned in an unfamiliar city with no means of communication, as her mobile phone battery had drained.
Despite the dire circumstances, Ms Islahatul managed to borrow a taxi driver’s phone and reached out to her employment agent in Singapore.
Swift action was taken, and arrangements were made for her to stay with a colleague of the agent in Batam until she could safely return to Singapore.
Legal Consequences and Accountability
Hong Xuanyu faced legal repercussions for her callous actions. She was fined $13,000 for violating the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act by failing to repatriate Ms Islahatul and employing her without a valid work permit.
The court acknowledged that Hong’s behavior not only violated legal standards but also denied Ms Islahatul her basic human dignity.
Exploitation and Injustice
The case further revealed the exploitation that Ms Islahatul had endured prior to being abandoned. She had been working extensively at Hong’s fish soup stall, often for long hours.
The maid was revealed to have been made to work at Hong’s fish soup stall at Jurong Point for 3 weeks, going to work almost every day.