Good Afternoon listeners,
You are tuned into Radio Heatwave’s Hard Talk right here with my Prashant Ashoka. In this episode we will be looking into several recent Maid Abuse cases and examine the impetus of such acts in our society. We will also be talking to the public to find out their views on the issue.
Singapore seems to be one of the safest places in the world to live in. We have an amazingly low crime and murder rate. Why then do we have domestic problems such as maid abuse? What is perpetuating this occurrence? If Singaporeans are known for their generous nature then why do we still have Maid Abuse cases?
Having domestic helpers at home is very common in typical Singaporean homes. This is probably because of the hectic and tiring routine of work many people go through. Therefore they need someone in the home to keep the house clean. Also in many families both parents work and there is no one readily available to take care of the children. Therefore it is imperative that they have a domestic helper to take care of the children.
Many times it could be the stress of work and external pressure that causes employers to take it out on their domestic workers. This may be because they see their domestic workers as subordinates or people they can control. It could be that they feel controlled and oppressed at work and they translate this behavior into the abuse of their domestic workers.
In other cases it could be because the parents feel very disconnected from their children and see the relationship between their domestic worker and children as threatening to themselves. They may feel that they are slowly being replaced in the family and my carry out abuse in order to establish dominance and try to regain control of the family situation.
On the 21st of October 2006, a 33 year old secretary was accused of of punching, slapping and kicking her Indonesian maid, as well as striking her with a phone and hurling a milk bottle at her face.
Chan Chwee Fung abused her domestic worker for about a three-week period. Such acts are very disturbing to read about.
Domestic workers are often not seen as equals and this kind of discrimination and prejudice exists in Singapore. They are seen as cheap labor and often mistreated, overworked and abused. It is sad that people do not see the pain they go through after leaving their families to work in a foreign country. To be treated in this way after everything they have been through is very traumatic indeed.
It is mainly because we see ourselves are greater people as compared to him. We discriminate based on class, race and educational level. We see poverty as a disease and we think that domestic workers can be treated like slaves just because they are not as highly educated and from a foreign country.
These are the beliefs that cause us to mistreat and abuse our domestic workers.
In one case in July 2006, a 20-year-old polytechnic student, Nurlannita, was accused of slapping her maid with a rubber slipper and hitting her on the head on one occasion. The judge said she was prepared to give her a second chance and placed her on 18 months' probation. Nurlannita also has to do 120 hours of community service, and her stepfather signed a $5,000 bond to ensure her good behavior.
After interviewing an 18 year old student on the reasons that caused maid abuse in Singapore, he noted “ I think that there is discrimination amongst maids now. Its as if they are not human. They are treated like personal slaves and most of the times they are taken advantage of. I think that the employers who abuse maids should realize that these people are trying to make a living and should treat them with utmost respect even though they might be of a different status.”
That’s definitely some food for thought. Join us on Hard Talk next week as we tackle different social issues pertaining to Singaporeans.
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