Latest news with #maid
Independent Singapore
4 days ago
- General
- Independent Singapore
Maid says, ‘My employer asks me to cook fancy meals like in a restaurant, but there's only 1 cabbage in the fridge, and they refused to give me a grocery allowance'
SINGAPORE: In yet another episode of 'MasterChef: Minimalist Edition,' a foreign domestic helper in Singapore has shared her culinary conundrum: being expected to whip up restaurant-worthy meals… with nothing but a lonely cabbage and some soy sauce. In a Facebook post that's equal parts humour, frustration, and quiet resilience, the helper wrote: 'I want to ask, any idea how to cook a fancy meal like a restaurant but there's only 1 cabbage in the fridge and no garlic. just left the soy sauce in the kitchen 😫😕🤔… every time I asked for groceries allowance, the answer, just says later and later until the fridge so shining bright 🌞 like every time I opened the fridge I can see through heaven 😀😆😂.' She added that she had spent significant effort learning to cook various Asian dishes during her training, only to be given an empty fridge and a vague 'later' every time she asked for a grocery allowance. Photo: FB/Direct Hire Transfer Singapore Maid / Domestic helper Cue the comments section—where fellow helpers chimed in with wit sharper than a chef's knife. 'Want to eat nice meals but don't want to spend money,' wrote one, summing up what many seemed to feel. Another maid shared her experience: 'In my employer's house, they only have light soy sauce but expect me to cook very nicely. If I ask to buy things to make good food, she says, 'I don't like to put this.' How to get a good taste of cooking without putting ingredients? Just put light soya sauce?!' It seems there's a culinary epidemic in Singaporean households—expecting Gordon Ramsay-level plating on a cup noodle budget. One helper didn't mince words: 'Some employers thought helpers are magicians like abra ka dabra boom shakalakala 🪄.' Another offered dark humour with a side of stark reality: 'And the helper was also very tired thinking what she should cook… including herself, no food to eat. When your medical [report] comes, found out that you don't have enough food, so MOM calls your employer to ask why your weight is down 👎😂… at the end still helper's fault 🤣.' Not all comments were snarky, though. One helper shared a heartening story of creativity and appreciation: 'They only had tomatoes in the fridge, so I felt like I joined MasterChef. I made tomato rice—just rice, tomatoes, salt, pepper, and whatever else they had. They enjoyed it. I was the one who got shocked—little effort, big appreciation.' She concluded with a life lesson that could probably be embroidered on an apron: 'Wherever we are, whatever we do, effort and presence mean a lot to people who really appreciate you.' That's not to say appreciation is always on the menu. One commenter offered a satirical suggestion to deal with picky employers: 'Make a heart shape with the cabbage and pour soya sauce in a star shape and serve them.' That's gourmet minimalism at its finest. The underlying frustration, of course, isn't just about a lack of groceries. It's about unrealistic expectations. Many of these helpers left their families behind to provide essential support to Singaporean households, only to be met with micromanagement, miserliness, or both. Singapore's Ministry of Manpower (MOM) advises that domestic helpers must be given proper food and care. Starving your employee—whether through neglect or penny-pinching—isn't just unethical. It's illegal. At the heart of it all is a simple truth: good food requires ingredients. And good help deserves basic respect. Until then, perhaps it's time some employers learn what real magic looks like—turning cabbage and soy sauce into dinner, night after night, without a word of thanks. Now that's a miracle! In other news, another helper said that, 'If Sir gives me food on my plate, she [my employer] will tell him it's too much, and she will lessen and choose what she wants to take out.' Her description of her employer's behaviour — along with a laundry list of grievances — sparked an outpouring of support, shock, and dark humour from other helpers and even employers in the group. You can read her full account over here: Maid says her employer has '5 helpers, but still complains that all the work done is wrong and that she's feeding us too much'
CNA
7 days ago
- CNA
Fatal abuse of Myanmar maid: 10 years' jail for cop who abetted wife in starving maid and removed evidence
SINGAPORE: A police officer was sentenced to 10 years' jail on Thursday (Jul 17) for his role in the fatal abuse of a young maid from Myanmar by his ex-wife and former mother-in-law. Staff Sergeant Kevin Chelvam, who has been suspended from the Singapore Police Force, was earlier convicted at trial in the case involving Ms Piang Ngaih Don, who died on Jul 26, 2016 after months of physical abuse. The 24-year-old victim died of brain injury with severe blunt trauma to her neck, and weighed just 24kg at the time of her death. Chelvam, 46, was convicted on a total of four charges. He was found guilty of one count of voluntarily causing hurt by grabbing the maid's hair and lifting her body off the ground, and one count of abetting his then wife Gaiyathiri Murugayan to voluntarily cause grievous hurt by starving her. He was also convicted of one count of giving false information to a police officer handling the case, and one count of causing evidence to disappear by dismantling a closed-circuit television (CCTV) recorder installed in his flat. The prosecution urged District Judge Teoh Ai Lin to jail Chelvam for 11 to 12 years. The defence asked the judge for compassion and said Chelvam was leaving the sentence in the court's hands. Judge Teoh noted that Chelvam knew the maid was not being given enough to eat in the 35 days before her death. "He had time and opportunity to stop the abuse but he did not," she said. "He was her legal employer who was to ensure a safe working environment for her, and should and could have stopped the abuse," she later added. On Chelvam's removal of evidence, the judge said: "If the CCTV recorder had not been recovered, Don would have taken with her to the grave the whole truth of what she had endured in the final days of her tragic life." Chelvam's ex-wife Gaiyathiri and her mother, Prema S Naraynasamy, are currently serving 30 years and 17 years in jail respectively for their roles in the case. ARGUMENTS BY PROSECUTION AND DEFENCE Deputy Public Prosecutor Sean Teh said Chelvam was complicit in the abuse, arguing against the defence's position that he had no active participation in or control over the abuse dealt out by his then-wife and mother-in-law. Referring to the judge's findings at trial, Mr Teh said that Chelvam stood by during the abuse, that he knew Gayathiri and Prema repeatedly and regularly abused the maid, and that he knew she was in a weakened and tired state. As Ms Piang Ngaih Don's legal employer, he had "every opportunity" to stop the abuse but did not, said the prosecutor. Chelvam even "actively endorsed" the withholding of food from Ms Piang Ngaih Don as punishment. Her severe malnourishment contributed to her inability to withstand the assaults to her neck, which led to her death, said Mr Teh. As a police officer, Chelvam was also fully aware of the significant evidence held in the CCTV recorder that he removed, said the prosecutor. This recorder was eventually recovered. All the abuse charges against the three offenders, including Gayathiri's offence of culpable homicide, stemmed from the footage, said Mr Teh. In mitigation, defence lawyer Pratap Kishan said that his client had "lost nine years of his life" while the case was ongoing. Chelvam was not in remand and was "out and about" during that period but "his life has come to a standstill", said Mr Kishan. The lawyer also pointed to a character reference the suspended cop received from the Traffic Police, which said that he was a positive worker and an asset to the unit during his service. FATAL ABUSE Chelvam lived with Gaiyathiri and their two children – then aged four and one – in a three-bedroom flat in Bishan. Two tenants lived in one of the bedrooms, said the prosecution. Prema had her own home but would often stay over to help cook and take care of the children. When she stayed over, she would share a room with Ms Piang Ngaih Don, who slept on the floor. Ms Piang Ngaih Don began working for Chelvam's family on a two-year contract in late May 2015. It was her first time working outside of Myanmar. Although Chelvam was her registered employer, Gaiyathiri was the one responsible for supervising her and for her welfare on a daily basis. Ms Piang Ngaih Don agreed to Gaiyathiri's conditions of employment, which were that she should not have a handphone or any off days, with the understanding that Gaiyathiri would pay her more and let her rest at home. Chelvam signed the employment contract, agreeing to provide the maid with at least three adequate meals a day, among other terms. At the beginning, when Gaiyathiri was upset with Ms Piang Ngaih Don, she would shout at her and scold her. This escalated to physical abuse by Gaiyathiri from October 2015. Around May 2016, Prema became aware of the physical abuse by Gaiyathiri and started physically abusing Ms Piang Ngaih Don too. The maid was not given adequate food and rest by Gaiyathiri and was only allowed to sleep for about five hours a night. Prema was aware of this and had noticed that Ms Piang Ngaih Don was losing a lot of weight. Ms Piang Ngaih Don also had to shower and relieve herself with the toilet door open while Gaiyathiri or Prema watched. She wore multiple layers of face masks as she went about her work in the house as Gaiyathiri found her "unhygienic" and did not want to look at her face. For 11 consecutive nights from Jul 15, 2016, Gaiyathiri used a string to tie one of Ms Piang Ngaih Don's hands to a window grille in her bedroom while she slept on the floor. This was purportedly to prevent her from leaving the room at night. REMOVAL OF EVIDENCE A CCTV system was installed in the flat, with cameras placed in various parts of the unit, to monitor Ms Piang Ngaih Don and the children. During investigations, police seized 35 days' worth of footage from Jun 21, 2016 to Jul 26, 2016. The footage captured the abuse and ill-treatment that Ms Piang Ngaih Don suffered in the days leading to her death. It showed that Prema stayed over at the house on at least seven out of the 11 nights. It also showed that, on numerous occasions, Chelvam was at home while the victim was being berated and beaten and that this often took place right in front of him. Video clips of footage played in court showed five incidents of Chelvam standing by in the kitchen while Ms Piang Ngaih Don was being assaulted by Gaiyathiri inside the toilet or in the kitchen. After Ms Piang Ngaih Don died, Chelvam attempted to thwart investigations by preventing the police from obtaining crucial footage by disconnecting the CCTV system's recorder and lying about its whereabouts. Chelvam lied to the police that the recorder had been removed six months earlier at a tenant's request as they were "uncomfortable" with it. While he was at the house with the police on the day Ms Piang Ngaih Don's death was discovered, Chelvam also pretended to search the house for the recorder, before claiming he was not able to find it.
Yahoo
15-07-2025
- General
- Yahoo
Woman's Fiancé Calls Her 'Lazy' for Wanting to Hire a Full-Time Maid. He Thinks She Should 'Do More Around the House'
A woman on Reddit admits she's burned out from balancing work, cooking and housework in a two-dog household Her fiancé objects to hiring a full-time maid, calling her 'lazy' despite their ability to afford it She questions whether it's fair to split finances 50/50 while still being expected to handle most of the choresA woman turns to the Reddit community for advice following a heated disagreement with her fiancé over hiring a full-time maid. She shares that both she and her partner have good jobs and split their finances evenly, but she actually earns a bit more than he does. They live together with two large dogs, a golden retriever and a border collie, which means their house gets messy quickly. 'When we first moved in, I took on most of the cleaning and cooking,' she writes in her post, explaining how she enjoyed cooking for her fiancé at first, and sometimes they would order takeout when she was too tired. But the demands of juggling work, house chores and cooking eventually became overwhelming for her. 'After months of juggling work, house chores, and cooking — sometimes even having to cook while in the middle of meetings — I burned out. Completely,' she confides. The couple agreed to hire a part-time maid, which she says isn't expensive where they live, and it helped lighten her load. However, the maid doesn't come every day, so she still finds herself making breakfast for both of them and serving it before he wakes up. Recently, she suggested hiring someone to clean every weekday to keep the house in shape and relieve some of her stress. Her fiancé's reaction was less than supportive. 'He got really upset and said it wasn't necessary, that I'm being lazy, and that I'm trying to avoid any responsibility for housework,' she reveals. She points out that she has shouldered more than her fair share of the chores for a long time. 'When I used to cook, he would wash the dishes but let's be real, cooking a full meal is a lot more work than just washing dishes,' she says. Despite her efforts to explain her feelings and the benefits of more frequent help, her fiancé remains unconvinced. 'He still thinks it's not justified to have daily help and that I should do more around the house,' she shares, expressing her frustration. She also highlights the fairness issue, noting, 'I told him I find it unfair that we split finances 50/50, I work full-time, and he still expects me to be the one taking charge of the house chores.' She feels like he's not willing to make things easier for her, even though they can afford it. Never miss a story — sign up for to stay up-to-date on the best of what PEOPLE has to offer, from celebrity news to compelling human interest stories. The woman stands her ground, asking the Reddit community, 'AITA for wanting to hire a maid Monday through Friday and standing my ground?' She explains that her fiancé argues, 'being able to afford it doesn't mean we should do it,' and that he's annoyed she's been doing less and less in the house and giving more responsibility to the maid. But for her, the extra help has been a game changer. 'Honestly it's been heaven waking up to food on my plate and not having to worry about crossing my meetings with cooking time,' she admits, while her fiancé insists she's just 'avoiding basic adult everyday stuff.' Now, she's left questioning whether she's in the wrong for wanting to make life a little easier, or if her fiancé's expectations are out of line. Read the original article on People
Independent Singapore
04-07-2025
- General
- Independent Singapore
Employer says her maid can't maintain an organised routine, pleads for sample schedules online
SINGAPORE: Frustrated by her maid's inability to maintain an organised routine, a local employer has taken to social media to seek advice from the public. In a post on r/askSingapore on Thursday (July 3), the employer shared that she had recently wrapped up a demanding period of caregiving for her 97-year-old grandmother, who passed away not long ago. Since then, things haven't eased up. Both of her parents are now in poor health, and she has taken on most of the caregiving responsibilities herself, despite living with a physical disability. Her daily tasks include feeding, bathing, changing diapers, and handling hospital visits. The helper, she clarified, is not expected to assist with any of that. Her job is to manage household chores like cooking, cleaning, doing laundry, and picking up fresh groceries. 'There's just me and my parents,' the woman explained. 'I can manage taking care of them on my own in spite of my physical handicap – toileting, diaper changes, showering, feeding, meds, medical appointments, and staying over at the hospital with them. I also cover all night duties. The maid doesn't have to do any of this.' Unfortunately, she said the helper has been unable to stick to or create a consistent routine. With everything else going on, the woman admitted she no longer has the time or mental space to come up with a detailed schedule for someone else. 'I just don't have the mental capacity right now while grieving my grandmother and taking care of my parents to create a schedule for her,' she said. 'I wish I didn't have my handicap; otherwise, I'd be able to take care of all chores myself like I did before I became handicapped.' She ended her post by asking fellow Redditors if they had any sample schedules to share, saying it would lift a huge weight off her shoulders. 'I'm appealing to anyone who is willing to share their maid's daily, weekly, and monthly schedules with me,' she wrote. 'Thank you in advance for your help.' 'Good on you for not offshoring the intimate caregiver duties to your helper.' In the discussion thread, one Singaporean Redditor suggested breaking household tasks into daily, weekly, and monthly chunks. 'Daily stuff would be things like laundry, cooking lunch and dinner, dusting, vacuuming and mopping, doing the dishes, and cleaning the kitchen counter and sink at night,' they wrote. 'These daily tasks will take up most of her time. So you may have only 1 hour or so left for the weekly task or monthly task. I would also recommend once-a-week grocery shopping.' Another Redditor, meanwhile, shared a more detailed schedule. They wrote, 'Tasks daily in the morning: 7-8 am: Grocery shop (can give NTUC trust card and ask for recipes. Do a weekly check. I didn't do this previously, and my helper cheated our money). 8-10 am: Pack shopped items. Wipe down furniture, Vacuum and mop floors. 10-11 am: Cook lunch. 3-5 pm: Cook dinner, 8-9 pm: Clean kitchen after cooking for the day is done.' A third said, 'My deepest condolences. Grief is the price that we pay for love, and the grief that you are feeling is the manifestation of the love that you had for your grandma. Honestly, good on you for not offshoring the intimate caregiver duties to your helper. Your parents should be proud to have you as their daughter.' In other news, a man shared on social media that he's 'getting sick' of his girlfriend's behaviour of cluttering their home with unnecessary items. Writing on the r/askSingapore forum on Tuesday (July 1), he explained in a now-deleted post that his girlfriend has a habit of buying things on impulse. Not expensive items, but just random things that catch her eye, even if she rarely uses them. Over time, their home has become cluttered with unused items filling shelves, drawers, tables, and corners, collecting dust. Read more: 'Sick of it': Man rants about his girlfriend's habit of cluttering their home with unnecessary items, seeks advice on Reddit Featured image by Depositphotos (for illustration purposes only)
Daily Mail
19-05-2025
- Daily Mail
EXCLUSIVE How I miraculously survived despite being stabbed 42 times by a self-styled 'nice boy from Chelsea' after he decided I was an 'evil demon' and suddenly attacked me in his mother's £20m house
Three short words – 'Josy, come outside' – was all that marked the start of the devastating knife attack in which a vivacious, young, live-in maid almost bled to death in a £20 million Chelsea townhouse last year. Uttered by the 26-year-old son of her wealthy employer on a chilly Sunday evening last February, Joselia Pereira Do Nascimento assumed he wanted her to prepare him a meal.
