Maid allegedly steals S$60k from elderly woman

A maid, who was supposed to be caring for an 85-year-old woman, allegedly stole more than S$60,000 worth of jewellery and foreign currency from her charge and ran off to Batam.

The 25-year-old maid is also suspected of physically abusing Tan Kor Eng, who suffers from dementia and diabetes.

Speaking to The New Paper (TNP), Tan’s 54-year-old daughter, a civil servant who wanted to be known as Miss Koh, said that she hired the maid to take care of her mother.

However, on Friday, Koh received a call from her tenant saying that the maid had disappeared and Tan was alone at home. When she got back, she found S$40,000 worth of jewellery and about S$20,000 in local and foreign currency missing.

The maid also took her passport with her, Koh, who reported the matter to the police that same afternoon, claimed.

Last month, Koh noticed bruises on Tan after coming back from a trip. Tests did not reveal any blood disorder.

The maid denied hitting the elderly woman, but instead said that she had fallen.

“Every week after that, there would be a new bruise. Each time I asked her, she always told me ‘No, mum, I never hit Ah Ma’,” Koh told TNP.

“She was my first maid, and I never suspected anything,” she added.

Tan never complained of being beaten, but when Koh was feeding her mother after the maid had run away, the 85-year-old suddenly said in Teochew, “Don’t hit me.”

It was then that Koh concluded that the maid was responsible for the bruising.

Tan now resides in a nursing home as Koh has work commitments during the day and is unable to care for her full time.

The police are now investigating the matter.