Lim Choon Hong (left) and his wife Chong Sui Foon pleaded guilty to charges of failing to provide their maid with adequate food. THE STRAITS TIMES/ PHOTO/WONG KWAI CHOW
A Singaporean couple were convicted on Wednesday after violating employment laws for starving their Filipina maid until her weight dropped from 49 kilograms to 29 kilograms.
The couple, identified as Lim Choon, a trader, and his wife, Chong Sui Foon, both 47 years old, finally admitted that they did not provide the right amount of food for the Filipina maid for a span of 15-months. This made the Filipina OFW to drop her weight to just 29 kilograms only from 49 kilograms.
A district court in Singapore has found that the 40-year-old Thelma Oyasan Gawidan already stopped menstru@ting and due to great starvation at her stay in the household of the couple in a condominium in Orchard Road area.
The freelance trader, Lim Choon is found guilty of violating the Employment of Foreign Manpower Regulations 2012 that required employers to “pay and provide adequate food and medical treatment for their domestic helpers.”
Now, Lim’s spouse, Chong Sui Foon, is also found guilty of helping her husband Lim in doing the offense. It is associated with maximum imprisonment of 12 months in jail and fine of $10,000.
The couple admitted they only give the Filipina OFW with just two small meals. The first meal includes two to three slices of plain white bread and one or two packs of instant noodles. This is will be served at around 1am to 2am prepared by Chong.
Then, the second meal will be given late in the morning or early in the afternoon. The meal will consist of six slices of plain white bread.
According to Inquirer, the couple and their children ate different food that has higher nutritional value and amount as well compared to what is given to the Filipina maid.
Even in drinking water, the maid had to ask for permission. Then, Chong would give the Filipina water from the tap.
Another abusive treatment to Gawidan is that even her use of the bathroom is restricted by the couple so, the maid is just using the condominium’s poolside bathroom.
Also, when Gawidan is taking a shower, Chong will be strictly monitoring her. She was only allowed to shower once or twice per week.
The Filipina also testified that her salary and mobile phone is being kept from her and was not allowed to go outside. But, on April 19, 2014, being alone near the condominium’s lift area, she fled and went to the Far East Shopping Center and there she contacted the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME).
Then, HOME reported the complaints to the Ministry of Manpower.
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Sources:
GMA News Online
Straits Times
Inquirer