26YO Indonesian Maid Found Lying at Foot of HDB Flats Passes Away in Hospital; Investigations Undergoing


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On Monday (29 Mar), a 26-year-old Indonesian domestic helper was found lying on the ground at a block of flats near Hougang MRT station.

According to The Straits Times, the Singapore Police Force (SPF) had received a call for assistance at around 4:35pm at Block 464 Upper Serangoon Road.

A resident had discovered her body lying in a pool of blood when passing by and called the police immediately. Her limbs were crooked from the fall but it looked like she was still breathing, a neighbour noted.

The woman was unconscious when the paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) attended to her.

She was rushed to Sengkang General Hospital but unfortunately succumbed to her injuries and passed on.

Police investigations are currently ongoing.

Felt Dizzy; Window to the Flat was Open

The helper, Pipit, was employed by an elderly woman in a wheelchair. This was her first time in Singapore and she had been working here for six months, according to Lianhe Zaobao.

The elderly employer, Madam Chen, said that her children had hired Pipit to take care of her around six months ago.

On the day of the incident, she had heard Pipit cry out for her twice from the kitchen. However, by the time she made it to the kitchen with the aid of a walking stick, her helper was nowhere to be found.

Reportedly, the kitchen window was opened.

Another Indonesian domestic helper, who was Pipit’s friend, had received a text from her saying that she felt dizzy and had a headache at around 4:41pm that day.

Unfortunately, she did not see the message and only learnt of the incident after seeing the police at the foot of the HDB flat.

Madam Chen’s children told Shin Min Daily News that they would contact the maid’s agency to settle her funeral arrangements and also the embassy to have her body flown back to Indonesia.

Not Allowed to Clean the Exterior of Windows

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has strict safety regulations on the cleaning of windows. Unless those standards are met, domestic helpers are not allowed to carry out such dangerous activity.

An employer or adult representative must be present to supervise the foreign domestic worker. In addition, window grilles must be installed and locked at all times during the cleaning.

Employers who fail to provide safe working conditions can be fined up to S$5,000 and jailed for up to six months.


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Feature Image: Trong Nguyen / Shutterstock.com (Image is for illustration purposes only)