Maid's murder trial puts spotlight on abuse

Defence says she killed Singapore employer over ill-treatment

With Malaysians reeling from the horrific abuse of a maid in recent days, neighbouring Singapore has also been gripped by a trial involving allegations of abuse against a foreign domestic helper. But in this case, it is the maid who is on trial.

Sundarti Supriayanto, a 23-year-old Indonesian, is accused of murdering her employer, Angie Ng, and her three-year-old daughter two years ago.

Sundarti's defence maintains Ng died only after her maid reacted to a series of humiliating acts, including being deprived of food, having soiled tissues flung at her and being told to eat faeces.

And while Singapore has taken steps to crack down on abuse, the trial is unfolding when officials have launched a campaign to have its citizens treat their maids better. In January, acting manpower minister Ng Eng Hen said he would take a tough line against employers who endangered the lives of maids. 'If you lay a finger on her, you go to jail. No arguments,' he said.

Singapore employs about 140,000 foreign domestic workers, making it one of the world's top destinations from throughout the region. About 60,000 come from Indonesia, a similar number from the Philippines, and smaller numbers from Malaysia and South Asia. But there is no standardised employment contract and domestic workers are not covered by employment laws.