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    NTU students appalled at ‘maid culture’ on campus residence

    By Chua Yini | Yahoo! Newsroom – Fri, Feb 10, 2012

    Is it wrong to get your maid to clean your room in a university hostel?

    Some undergraduates seem to have no qualms about doing so, according to The New Paper (TNP) in an article on cases where students from Nanyang Technological University (NTU) brought their maids from home to do chores for them.

    However, students Yahoo! Singapore interviewed are indignant about the unorthodox practice.

    “I think it’s lame and these spoilt brats should just wake up their idea and do their own housework,” said the NTU undergraduate Thong Kay Wee, labeling such people as “a disgrace to the nation”.

    “They can study but can’t even clean their own space. What kind of so-called ‘elite’ are these people?” the 23-year-old added.

    Chua Yan Yu, a third year NTU student, agreed that students staying in hostels should be independent and self sufficient enough to “do some simple cleaning”.

    Said the 22-year-old, “This is quite appalling. To me, one important learning point of staying in hall is to be independent. If they get their domestic helpers to assist them in cleaning up, how can they learn to take care of themselves in the future?”

    Similarly, third year NTU Mechanical Engineering student Seah Tze Yang feels that getting maids to clean up hostel rooms “defeats the purpose of the entire [hall] experience”. 

     “Halls reduce travel time for students and it's also a place for students to interact. This gives them an opportunity to learn to be independent like washing their own laundry and cleaning their own room,” said the 24-year-old.

    He added that such practice is detrimental for students, saying: “If maids are to help them to tidy their rooms, then there will come a day when the maids have to print notes for them as well.”

    When contacted, a spokesman from NTU said that the university "has not received any complaints" on the issue.

    According to TNP, maids were also spotted on campus during periods when students have to move in or out of their hall rooms. Some maids were made to clean toilets.

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    • A Yahoo! User  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      First, we had maids to carry army boys' heavy full pack, now we have maids cleaning the students' hostel rooms. The real culprits are the PARENTS who allow (and encourage) such thing to happen, sigh...
      • V
        V 3 months ago
        These Singaporeans are probably also the first to cry up about that others nationalities don't respect them.
        For a country that used to be under the control of a colonial power with all the bad thing there are to be said of that it is surprising that so many Singaporeans seem to be quite comfortable with behaving in the same manner and using the same methods as their former colonial rulers!

        However, far worse is the picture this gives of Singaporeans to the outside world of a nation of petty weak people who cannot do anything themselves. It only takes a few cases to destroy the view of Singapore. Cases such as a serviceman letting a maid carry his backpack and now this.
        There is not much to be proud of being Singaporean as long as behaviour like that is tolerated.
      • A Yahoo! User 3 months ago
        tolerate what tolerate
        singapore become laughing stock already
        next time go out work i think i rather say i'm from taiwan or china
        at least the average citizen there more hardworking
      • A Yahoo! User 3 months ago
        just what has become of our youngsters these days? to be able to afford staying in the campus hostel is already a privilege and advantage compared to needy students who need to commute long distances between home and campus.

        It is the best chance to learn to be independant and learn to grow up out of the comfort zone at home. Why need to pack along the maid just to clean the small hostel room with minimum furnishings like a bed, a wardrobe, a study table and a chair? Other items are personal effects that are also minimum. How untidy can it be? Is it that difficult to clean up your own mess? Can you score top grades in your exams with the minimum amount of time saved cleaning your own room? Do you need a butler service too?

        The soldiers/maids joke just happened not too long ago, now this Uni students/maids episode surface and these are all young adults. These pampered and spoiled brats could be Singapore's future leaders (OMG!!). Do parents know they are cultivating in their kids the wrong value? Do parents also know that maids are not supposed to work outside the registered address submitted to MOM?

        It's really NONE OF MY BUSINESS but i truly hope parents, NSF soldiers and stay-in Uni students think deep into the matter.
    • BrainDead
      BrainDead  •  3 months ago
      Oops! Poor things. Only learning to do some basic chores at tertiary level through "hall" experience? Unbelievable upbringing.
      • Schan
        Schan 3 months ago
        Who do blame ? Life here is simply too good. nearly every other households got foreign maids, some even have two. In the 50s and early 60s, we have thousands of maids, local maids working for the British families. But now we have thousands of foreign maids serving Singaporeans, to the extreme of carrying NS army packs etc. We can only blame Sg for such a big change way ahead of our neighbouring countries and in the region.
      • Ice
        Ice 3 months ago
        Imagine if these spineless jellyfish went to study overseas and have no maids by their side? Of course the really rich ones have their parents buy a house there and hire both a maid & driver to make sure it's home away from home. Or else these jokers prey on the kindness of housemates to do their chores for them. Our next generation of 'elites' are becoming quite the model parasites!
      • Alan Chiu
        Alan Chiu 3 months ago
        Next time we have maids do homework for the students.
    • Jacky
      Jacky  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Report to MOM since the maids are not working at the work permit designated address.
      • Chuck
        Chuck 3 months ago
        Say NO COMMENT if caught by MOM officers.
      • LOL everyone
        LOL everyone 3 months ago
        MOM should work with NTU to expel those students who caught engaging maids to clean their dorm's toilet. Then charge the parents who allow this to happen. Drastic failure of parenthood
      • Nanyang
        Nanyang 3 months ago
        @ LOL Everyone: Charge the parents for "drastic failure of parenthood"? The parents will in turn blame the govt for promoting an elitist society.

        How many more of local scholars and grads are waiting to be exposed of their piteous lack of morals and virtues? Houseman in hospital claimed work allowances when not working; NIE scholar known for voyeurism and charged with possession of child pornography; senior civil servants eventually caught for grafts, etc.
    • Jim Ong
      Jim Ong  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Spoilt Singaporeans by their dumb parents!
      Maids cleaning hostel rooms for undergrads , maids carrying backpack for NS man....
      Whats next?
      Maids making beds every morning, maids standby to make night snacks.......
      • Amor
        Amor 3 months ago
        what do expect from them anyway? even their own bag they can't carry
      • Adeline
        Adeline 3 months ago
        Maids studying for their exams.
      • Ice
        Ice 3 months ago
        Maids studying for their exams is not so far-fetched since some maids are really graduates in their home country but being a maid overseas means higher pay. So these maids may actually qualify to tutor our kids!
    • CHUANCHYE
      CHUANCHYE  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Disgustiiiinnngg!
    • TGH
      TGH  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Imagine these students would one day become our ministers ....?!
      • ziggy
        ziggy 3 months ago
        no need to imagine.......
      • uniqo
        uniqo 3 months ago
        minsiters hv already servants in their houses just go check one
      • The Bukit Man
        The Bukit Man 3 months ago
        We have one in the house. That foot stomping Kate Spade girl.
    • John
      John  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Reality will strike when they graduate and find out they can't afford to buy their own apartment or car, and will be forced to live with mommy and daddy for another ten years.
    • KenluckyL
      KenluckyL  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Here the young elites are born with golden and silver spoon mama's boy.
    • John Song
      John Song  •  3 months ago
      The lack of moral fibre in this country is appalling! The parents of these students should be utterly ashamed of themselves. No wonder Singaporeans think that they deserve everything without having to put the work in. Too many people will thumb down this post because the truth hurts, we are a nation of spoilt brats - how can we complain about foreign workers when we willingly use them to do the "menial," tasks that we do not wish to perform ourselves. A maid carrying a soldiers back pack, a maid to clean a students dorm two examples of laziness beyond belief, unless we change our ways my fellow Singaporeans we are going to be heading for meltdown. A nation of people expecting things to be given to us/done for us when we simply do not deserve it. SHAME ON US
    • evil
      evil  •  3 months ago
      and singaporeans are wondering why foreigners are "taking" away their jobs.
      too lazy.
    • Tommy
      Tommy  •  3 months ago
      Next thing they'll be getting the maid to wash their backsides and change their nappies!!
    • John
      John  •  Hong Kong, Hong Kong  •  3 months ago
      Why not get the maid to study and sit the exam on behalf.
    • AsiaRuth
      AsiaRuth  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Lazy is the word . Your maid is not your SLAVE . And next thing you be asking her to clean your BUTT right Moron
    • Dismay
      Dismay  •  3 months ago
      Singapore moms, let your boys grow up and become man by taking care of their own chores. Moms too, you need to be wise and mature, not just know how to show off your maid.
    • boris tlcee
      boris tlcee  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      just get our MOM officers ambused these maids and get their employers punished....do u think the MOM officers are lazy??
    • Sponge Bob
      Sponge Bob  •  3 months ago
      Yeah, we can say born with a silver spoon in the mouth. Doesn't it rings a bell? Remember our good president's son not doing the regular full NS stint. Well these students are just following some great examples. They will make good spoilt foot stamping leaders. Oh we have a great example in parliament already. Duh!
    • JKing
      JKing  •  3 months ago
      spare the rod and you spoil the child!

      if the person is studying for a degree but has to depend on his/ her maid to help cleaning the hostel room, i would view it as a great shame!

      to put it plainly, singaporeans lack drive!
    • 60s'
      60s'  •  Singapore, Central Singapore  •  3 months ago
      Well, this is how our society had bred and led some of our young ones to behave. First, we had maids carrying NS recruits 'alibaba bags' and now maids come into students dorms to clean up. In the first place, isn't there a rule that other than the employer's home address domestic helpers are NOT allowed to be working elsewhere and if that takes place then the employer could be fined or penalised under the law?
    • thom
      thom  •  3 months ago
      just today at 8am, i saw a maid washing a car for her employer....seriously, you cant even wash ur car on the weekends??? how filthy/ lazy an employer could be....
    • amransan
      amransan  •  3 months ago
      well they got alot of IQ but no EQ
      who can blame them it all started at home right!

      cheers!
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