An Indian-origin couple was jailed in Singapore for repeated offences relating to hiring a maid despite being blacklisted by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and obstructing justice, local media reported.
Syed Mohamed Peeran Syed Ameer Hamza was jailed 36 weeks or about eight months for circumventing the MOM blacklist by using his business associate’s identity to hire an Indonesian domestic worker.
The 41-year-old Singaporean pleaded guilty midway through a trial to one charge of obstructing justice and instigating his associate to give false information to secure a work pass.
His spouse Sabah Parveen, a 37-year-old permanent resident from India, was jailed for three days after similarly pleading guilty to obstruction of justice.
The couple’s Indonesian maid, Aminah, reported that the couple mistreated her.
According to a report by TODAY newspaper, another charge of failing to pay all of Aminah’s salary was considered for sentencing.
District Judge Jennifer Marie granted a discharge not amounting to an acquittal for a charge that the couple faced, failing to ensure Aminah was given adequate rest every day.
“The couple cried in the dock as their sentences were readout. Sabah began serving her sentence immediately, while Syed will do so on January 7 to take care of their two young children and settle some work matters”, said the TODAY report.
According to the TODAY Report, the court heard that in 2014, Sabah was charged with three counts of voluntarily causing hurt against their domestic worker at the time.
However, the charges were compounded when she paid S$5,000 in compensation, which included a flight ticket, to the worker then, added TODAY.
While in May 2015, Syed got to know that his household had been placed on a blacklist for hiring foreign domestic workers until June 30, 2019. Though he wrote to MOM to lift the ban, it was rejected.
In early 2018, he recruited Aminah. She was in Indonesia at the time.
But in July 2018, Syed circumvented the ban by persuading his associate, Suresh Murugan, to apply for in-principle approval for Aminah to be employed as a domestic worker in Singapore. Suresh Murugaiyan was falsely indicated to MOM to be Aminah’s employer.
Since it was for Suresh, MOM’s Work Pass System automatically approved Suresh’s application. “If Syed or his household members had used the system, it would have automatically prevented their application from going through”, the court heard.
On July 17, 2018, Aminah arrived in Singapore and began working for Syed and Sabah.
Then Suresh was forced to submit formal work permit declaration forms, stating that Suresh was Aminah’s employer. The work permit application was approved on August 14, 2018.
In January 2019, the Syed family made preparations to move to Hong Kong. While Aminah relayed her situation to another domestic worker living in the same condominium complex, she gave her the number for the Centre for Domestic Employees, which then informed MOM.
On January 24, 2019, police officers visited Syed’s home twice in rapid succession. Syed insisted that he had not employed a domestic worker and that it was just him and his family living there.
When they realised they were under investigation, they bought a flight ticket for the maid to return to Jakarta, Indonesia.
Aminah was paid SGD1,000 as her overdue salary. She had only been paid for the first three months and not paid for at least two more months.
Deputy Public Prosecutor (DPP) Chong Kee En told the court that after “some quick investigative work”, the police and MOM realised that Suresh was not Aminah’s employer.
Syed denied the charges refusing to surrender the passports of his and his spouse, saying that he would not leave Singapore.
But, he bought flight tickets soon after and they were stopped at the airport.
In July 2019, Aminah returned to Singapore, and more details came to light then, said DPP Chong.
Those convicted of obstruction of justice in Singapore can be jailed for up to seven years, fined, or both.
