Three years’ jail for Singapore woman who abused Myanmar domestic helper for doing chores too slowly

The acts of mistreatment included forcing the helper to scald herself with hot water, pulling her hair out, and repeatedly hitting her on the head with a mobile phone

The abuses came to light after the helper accompanied her employer to the beauty salon she managed, where one of the employees alerted the police

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Singapore is home to almost 250,000 domestic helpers, mostly from other parts of Southeast Asia. Photo: AFP

Published: 6:00pm, 11 Feb 2019Updated: 12:21am, 12 Feb 2019

A woman in Singapore who abused her Myanmar domestic helper by forcing her to pour hot water on herself, pulling her hair out and hitting her was jailed for three years on Monday.

Singapore is home to almost 250,000 domestic helpers, mostly from other parts of Southeast Asia, who head to the tiny but wealthy city state to earn far higher salaries.

Beauty parlour manager Linda Seah, 39, was convicted last month for the abuse inflicted on Phyu Phyu Mar in 2016.

The mistreatment detailed in six charges included two instances when the domestic helper was forced to pour hot water onto her left shoulder, leaving her with burn marks and blisters.

Seah also forced her to drink “water adulterated with floor cleaner”, according to the charges.

On one occasion she shook the domestic helper by the hair until some of it came out, and on another, hit her repeatedly in the head with a mobile phone.