Indian-origin couple jailed for abusing maid, obstructing justice in Singapore

Singapore, Dec 18 (PTI) An Indian-origin couple was on Friday jailed in Singapore court for repeat offences relating to hiring of a maid despite being blacklisted by Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and obstructing justice, local media reported.

Syed Mohamed Peeran Syed Ameer Hamza, who circumvented MOM blacklist by using his business associate’s identity to hire an Indonesian domestic worker, was jailed 36 weeks or about eight months.

41-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty midway through a trial to one charge each of obstructing justice and instigating his associate to give false information to secure a work pass.

His spouse Sabah Parveen, a 37-year-old permanent resident from India, was jailed for three days after similarly pleading guilty to obstruction of justice.

couple's Indonesian maid, Aminah, reported that she was mistreated by couple.

Ar charge of failing to pay all of Aminah's salary was taken into consideration for sentencing, according to a report by TODAY newspaper.

District Judge Jennifer Marie granted a discharge t amounting to an acquittal for a charge that couple each faced, failing to ensure Aminah was given adequate rest every day.

This means that y can be prosecuted for se offences in future, for example, if new evidence emerges.

couple cried in dock as ir sentences were readout. Sabah began serving her sentence immediately, while Syed will do so on January 7 in order to take care of ir two young children and settle some work matters, said TODAY report.

court heard that in 2014, Sabah was charged with three counts of voluntarily causing hurt against ir domestic worker at time.

However, charges were compounded when she paid SGD5,000 in compensation, which included a flight ticket, to worker n.

In May 2015, Syed learned that he and his household had been placed on a blacklist for hiring foreign domestic workers until June 30, 2019.

He n wrote to MOM in a bid to lift ban, but this was rejected.

In early 2018, he recruited Aminah. She was in Indonesia at time.

n, in July that year, he circumvented ban by persuading his associate to apply for in-principle approval for Aminah to be employed as a domestic worker in Singapore. This was first step in work pass application.

Syed got Suresh Murugaiyan, an Indian origin associate in Singapore, to falsely indicate to MOM to be Aminah’s employer.

MOM’s Work Pass System automatically approved Suresh’s application. If Syed or his household members had used system, it would have automatically prevented ir application from going through, court heard.

Aminah arrived in Singapore on July 17, 2018, and began working for Syed and Sabah.

Shortly afterwards, Syed convinced Suresh to submit formal work permit declaration forms, which again stated that Suresh was Aminah's employer.

work permit application was approved on August 14, 2018. In January 2019, family made preparations to move to Hong Kong. Aminah thought she would be taken re as well, though she did t wish to go.

She relayed her situation to ar domestic worker living in same condominium complex in Balestier housing estate. or woman gave her number for Centre for Domestic Employees, which n informed MOM.

When ministry called Aminah and asked her to give her employer’s information, she said that she was afraid. A MOM investigation officer n referred case to police.

On January 24, 2019, police officers visited Syed’s home twice in rapid succession. Syed answered door both times, insisting that he had t employed a domestic worker and that it was just him and his family living re.

Sabah witnessed this and realised her husband could be under investigation.

Syed n asked Aminah to hide in a bathroom, before confronting her and asking why she had called police and “(given m a) big problem”. He bought a flight ticket for her to return to Jakarta, Indonesia, that same night using Sabah’s credit card.

Aminah was given some time to pack and was paid SGD1,000 of her overdue salary. She had been paid for first three months of work and t paid for at least two more months.

couple n asked two neighbours, who did t kw what was happening, to help Syed take Aminah’s lugg down. He accompanied Aminah to airport where she left for Jakarta.

Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Chong Kee En told court that after “some quick investigative work”, police and MOM realised that Suresh was t Aminah’s employer.

Syed denied employing or kwing her, refusing to surrender his and spouse passports and saying that he would t leave Singapore.

However, he bought flight tickets soon after his interview with police, attempting to leave on same day before being stopped at airport. Before Syed tried to leave, police had placed couple on a stop-list, which alerts authorities to stop certain individuals from leaving Singapore.

Aminah returned to Singapore in July 2019 and more details came to light n, said DPP Chong.

He sought nine months’ jail for Syed and a custodial term for Sabah, pointing out that Aminah had worked for family for six months despite blacklist being in effect.

Syed’s lawyer, Rachel Soh, said in mitigation that he had hired Aminah out of concern for his family. He was working as a consultant in Hong Kong at time and wanted to support m in his absence, Soh added.

Representing Sabah, lawyer Jeremy Pereira told court that Sabah did t kw what her husband had done until police officers showed up at ir door.

This put her in an “unenviable situation” of having to report him to police or keep silent. He could also have blamed her for his arrest, Pereira said.

Those convicted of obstruction of justice in Singapore can be jailed for up to seven years or fined, or both. PTI GS AMS AMS