Couple who abused Myanmar maid get stiffer sentences after prosecution's appeal
SINGAPORE — A married couple who physically abused their two maids received stiffer sentences at the High Court on Monday (26 August) after successful appeals by the prosecution for offences involving one of the maids.
In increasing the jail term for Tay Wee Kiat, 41, from 24 months to 30 months, for offences involving Myanmar national Moe Moe Than, Justice Hoo Sheau Peng agreed with the prosecution that the sentence “did not adequately capture Tay’s criminality”.
“Tay’s ill-treatment of the victim took place over 11 months. He used implements such as a cane, a broomstick and a metal clothing hook. He caused both physical as well as psychological harm. He also humiliated and demeaned the victim,” said the judge.
Justice Hoo on Monday also overturned Tay’s wife Chia Yun Ling’s acquittal on one charge of failing to pay Moe Moe Than outstanding salary of $1,450 and imposed three months’ jail. The sentence will run concurrently with her jail term of 47 months for abusing Moe Moe Than.
The couple had claimed trial to their charges involving the Myanmar national at the State Courts and were sentenced in March.
Moe Moe Than worked for Tay and Chia, 43, from January to November 2012. She was subjected to numerous violent assaults, including being slapped for oversleeping even though she only slept between after midnight and 5.30am daily.
The couple earlier made the news when they were convicted of abusing their other maid, Indonesian national Fitriyah, also after a trial. The maid worked for the couple for two years until December 2012.
After an appeal, the High Court last year increased Tay’s sentence for offences involving Fitriyah to 43 months while Chia was jailed for two months.
The couple started serving their sentences for offences involving Moe Moe Than earlier this year. Their sentences for offences involving Fitriyah were stayed, pending the court hearings for Moe Moe Than.
With the conclusion of the prosecution’s appeal on Monday, the High Court will decide at a later date how the couple will serve their sentences for both set of offences - whether concurrently or consecutively - and the starting date for their sentences for offences involving Fitriyah.
Chia also has to pay $9,850 in compensation to the two maids while Tay has to pay them $8,900.
Abuse against Myanmar maid
Moe Moe Than was required to massage Chia’s foot every night till midnight. Once, when the maid dozed off while massaging, Chia caned her on the head.
Chia also caned the maid on her bare buttocks on another occasion after she found that some plastic boxes were dusty.
On another occasion, when Chia saw Moe Moe Than looking at herself in the mirror, she dragged the maid by the hair, pushed her to the floor and stepped on her chest, causing her to have difficulty breathing.
The maid initially ate rice and cabbage for her daily meals, but she was later given only plain rice and water.
Once, when Moe Moe Than complained she didn’t have enough to eat, Chia forced a funnel into her mouth and pushed a mixture of rice and sugar into it.
The maid vomited in the toilet but Chia still scolded and slapped her. Chia ordered the maid to vomit into a plastic bag and consume her own vomit, and the maid complied.
Tay also assaulted the maid on several occasions. He caned her on her palm and buttocks after she caused a chip on a table edge. He also used a broomstick and metal clothing hook to hit her.
And he kicked her on the backside and made her jump “like a rabbit” whenever she used the toilet more than three times a day.
Abuse against Indonesian maid
Chia also slapped Fitriyah twice and punched her on the forehead.
As for Tay, he hit Fitriyah on the head with a bamboo stick and a cane on four occasions.
Tay also forced her to stand on one leg on a stool and stay in that position for an hour, and slapped her on a number of occasions.
He also ordered Fitriyah and Moe Moe Than to slap each other.
Once, angered over his daughter’s performance in a school paper, Tay forced Moe Moe Than and Fitriyah to assume a push up position before kicking them.
The incidents came to light when Moe Moe Than sought help from her agent in Myanmar after she returned to Yangon in November 2012. The agent’s partner in Singapore was alerted and the matter was referred to the authorities.
Related stories:
Couple jailed for abusing Myanmar maid, ordered to pay compensation
Couple convicted again of multiple incidents of maid abuse involving second helper
Myanmar maid recounts incidents of abuse by Singaporean couple
