Woman jailed for slapping RI maid

Woman jailed for slapping RI maid

SINGAPORE: A woman initially fined for slapping her Indonesian
maid will now spend three months in a Singapore jail under
stiffer punishments for maid abuse, it was reported on Friday.

This is the second time this week Chief Justice Yong Pung How
increased an employer's sentence for the offense, noting violence
against maids had to stop, The Straits Times said.

Businesswoman Chong Siew Chin assaulted Bonasih Sarmo, 23, and
told her to say she had fallen into the toilet if anyone asked
about the marks on her face, according to court documents.

Chong told Bonasih her parents would die if she told the
truth.

The judge agreed with the public prosecutor that the 1999
offense deserved a jail term. Chong will get back the S$4,500
(US$2,500) she paid in fines under the original sentence.

Last week, the judge tripled the three-month jail term of
housewife Farida Begam Mohamed Arthan for hitting her Indonesian
maid with a slipper and wooden handle, saying the crime was
giving Singapore a "terrible reputation." --DPA