Pregnant maid who laid oil trap, assaulted employer in bid to obtain passport jailed 4 months
SINGAPORE — A pregnant Indonesian maid who wanted to return home decided to obtain her passport by force when her employers did not release her immediately.
Poniyem, who goes by one name, first laid a trap for her female employer by pouring oil outside her room door. She then caused her employer to slip in the oil, after which she sprayed insecticide in the victim’s face. She also threatened the woman and her eight-year-old daughter with a knife and pair of scissors.
The 41-year-old, who is currently six months’ pregnant, was sentenced to four months’ jail on Monday (26 August) on one count of voluntarily causing hurt to her 44-year-old employer and one count of theft. One count of criminal intimidation was taken into consideration for her sentencing.
The employer cannot be named to protect her daughter’s identity.
Just married
Poniyem started working at her employer’s household in April. A month later, she told her employer that she was pregnant and wanted to stop working in Singapore despite being contracted for two years.
Poniyem had married earlier this year, prior to entering Singapore to work as a maid.
The employer asked her to wait until a replacement maid could be found, as the maid agency had stated that it was unable to obtain a replacement for Poniyem until after 5 June.
Determined to obtain her passport by force and leave Singapore, Poniyem then decided to threaten and hurt her employer.
At around 1am on 21 May, Poniyem poured oil outside the door of her employer’s bedroom before knocking on the woman’s door. She told her employer that she had a stomach ache and needed some medicine. Believing Poniyem, the employer opened the room door and stepped out.
As her employer stepped out of the room, Poniyem pulled her by the hand, causing the woman to step into the oil and slip.
Poniyem then pulled the woman by her hand, causing her to step on the oil and slip. She then sprayed insecticide in her employer’s face as she lay on the floor.
After managing to open her eyes, Poniyem’s employer shouted for her daughter – who was asleep in the room at the time – and told her to call the police.
Looking to stop the young girl from alerting the authorities, Poniyem then obtained a pair of scissors and grabbed the girl by the hair. She then pointed the scissors at the girl’s throat.
Worried for her daughter’s safety, the woman entered the room – which was when Poniyem withdrew a knife she had been keeping in her back pocket. She pointed the weapon at the older woman.
Asked about her demands, Poniyem said she wanted her passport and money to flee Singapore. Her employer then handed Poniyem $200 along with the passport.
The maid also took two mobile phones – worth $1,877 in total – from the flat to prevent the victim from calling the police.
Poniyem then went to the living room and removed the cable for the flat’s land line. She then left the flat and disposed of the knife.
Despite Poniyem’s efforts, the employer was still able to call the police at about 1.54am. Court documents did not state how she managed to do so.
Poniyem was arrested after she took a taxi to the Tanah Merah Ferry Terminal. The stolen items were all recovered.
Premeditated act: prosecution
Seeking a sentence of three and a half months’ jail, Deputy Public Prosecutor Foo Shi Hao told the court that the maid had acted with premeditation by laying out the oil trap for her employer.
Poniyem had also tricked the victim into leaving her room in the wee hours of the morning and slipping on the oil.
“There was a sustained period of aggression. After causing the victim to slip and fall, (Poniyem) sprayed insecticide into the victim’s face,” said DPP Foo.
Addressing the court through an interpreter, a visibly pregnant Poniyem apologised for the offence and pleaded for leniency.
For voluntarily causing hurt, she could have been jailed up to two years, or fined up to $5,000, or both. For theft, Poniyem could have been jailed up to seven years, and fined.
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