The possibility of a divorce was eventually brought up by Rahimi during a meeting with his wife and mother-in-law in Batam on March 19. The couple live separately – she in Batam and he in Singapore.

During the meeting, Rahimah did not show any signs of unhappiness towards Rahimi after hearing his proposal.

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On March 22, a few days after Rahimi’s visit to Batam, Rahimah travelled to Singapore via ferry with her colleague Yeni Elferida Nasution.

Rahimah invited Yeni along and the colleague agreed to accompany her after being told by Rahimah that she would “treat” her to meals in Singapore.

Once they arrived here, Rahimah informed Yeni that she needed to meet her husband to get some documents.

The duo then made their way to a hawker centre located near Rahimi’s home.

Leaving Yeni to wait for her, Rahimah headed to Rahimi’s home and scouted the area because she intended to familiarise herself with the area where he lived.

After that, she returned to pick up Yeni and they both spent the night at a hotel in the Geylang area.

The scalding

In the early morning of March 23, Rahimah checked out of her hotel with a thermal flask filled with boiling water.

She then told Yeni she wanted to meet her husband before they made their way back to Batam.

Rahimah arrived at Rahimi’s residence at about 7:20am and wore a black dress with headgear leaving just her eyes exposed, in an effort to conceal her identity.

She stationed herself at a staircase located two units away from his home and waited for him.

At about 7:30am, he sat on a chair outside his home to put on his shoes to leave for the day.

When Rahimah saw him, she removed the cover of the flask, ran towards him and intentionally splashed the boiling water from the flask onto his back.

Rahimah immediately fled the scene when Rahimi shouted in pain and stood up to try to remove his shirt.

Court documents did not state the reasons for her actions.

After being scalded, Rahimi went to Singapore General Hospital where he was attended to at the department of emergency medicine.

A police report was also made by his family members.

He sustained a second-degree scald injury with blistering and skin loss over the upper back extending to the right armpit area, back of neck and the posterior of the right arm.

Both his ears also indicated signs of a first-degree scald injury.

He was given a total of 16 days of medical leave and follow-up appointments with an outpatient clinic.

Rahimah later met up with Yeni and the two headed back to Batam by ferry.

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However, while en route to Batam, officers from the Police Coast Guard intercepted and stopped the ferry.

Police officers then boarded the ferry and arrested Rahimah.

Rahimah, who was not represented by a lawyer, apologised for her actions and pleaded with District Judge Paul Chan for leniency during mitigation, saying she is the “sole breadwinner” of her family in Indonesia.

She also said that she did not want to remember this incident and wanted to “restart her life”, “reunite with her husband” and do “goodwill for the sake of her child”.

For causing hurt to her husband with the use of boiling water, Rahimah could have been jailed up to seven years with a fine, or been caned, or any combination of these punishments.