Indonesian Maid Dies in 30-Storey Plunge in Singapore

Straits Times | March 31, 2012

Singapore. A 23-year-old Indonesian maid fell 30 storeys to her death at Telok Blangah Heights on Thursday.

She had apparently been cleaning the windows of her employer’s flat at about 1 p.m.

This is at least the third case so far this year of a maid falling to her death here.

A neighbor told Chinese newspaper Shinmin Daily that she was in the vicinity when the maid fell. She was at a nearby bus stop when she heard a loud noise.

She saw the maid on the ground with blood flowing from her head, and the maid’s employer arriving soon after.

She said the female employer told her that the maid had lost her balance and fallen out of the window, but managed to cling to it. She shouted for her employer, but fell before the woman could reach her.

The maid was pronounced dead at the scene by paramedics at about 1.15 p.m.

The Straits Times understands that the maid had worked for the family of five — a couple, two young children and an elderly woman —- for about two years.

The family declined to comment on the incident.

The neighbor said that the maid’s employer would tell her not to open the metal window grilles when she was cleaning the windows. But she still did so, saying she could not clean the windows without opening them.

Neighbors said they would occasionally see the maid around the area, and described her as quiet and petite.

Police are investigating the incident as an unnatural death.

Reprinted courtesy Straits Times

Indonesian Maids Continue to Fall to Deaths in Singapore

Straits Times April 03, 2012


When a maid plunged 30 storeys to her death on Thursday, she became at least the third Indonesian domestic worker to die this way since the start of the year. The three women had something else in common — they are all believed to have slipped while cleaning their employers’ windows or putting out laundry.

Since as far back as 1989, there have been cases of maids falling in similar circumstances, sometimes while perching on ledges, stools or window sills.

And with employers saddled with much of the blame for the deaths, the onus is on them to make sure that their domestic helpers stay safe, Members of Parliament and maid agents told The Straits Times.

They said that families need to show more understanding toward their maids, who may not be accustomed to urban life.

Many come from rural areas and “do not have the mindset of high-rise living,” said Tampines GRC MP Baey Yam Keng.

The 23-year-old woman who died last Thursday is believed to have slipped while cleaning windows at Telok Blangah Heights.

Last month, another Indonesian maid fell 13 storeys while putting the laundry out to dry in Pasir Ris.

In February, a domestic helper fell seven floors at a Jurong East condominium after reportedly losing her balance while cleaning windows.

Last year, 15 maids fell to their deaths. Some jumped, while others slipped while putting the laundry out to dry.

Tanjong Pagar GRC MP Dr Chia Shi-Lu said some employers could be unaware of dangers in the home.

“They don’t think of their house as a workplace,” he said. “But actually, there are a lot of dangers.”

The orthopedic surgeon said he sees many patients who have suffered falls at home. Other risks include electrical plugs, he said.

“The home has hazards ... our emphasis on workplace safety can also be applied at home,” he added.

While new maids have to undergo training by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers need to check that they have understood the instructions, said a spokesman for the Bluesky Employment Agency.

Marine Parade GRC MP Dr Fatimah Lateef said families need to have reasonable expectations about what their domestic helpers can do.

The trend of installing fancy fixtures such as bay windows and doing away with window grilles could also be causing the high number of falls, said Dr Ho Nyok Yong, president of the Singapore Contractors’ Association. He added that there is no foolproof way to prevent someone falling.

Advertisements that tug at the heartstrings might be one way to prevent such deaths, said Jeremy Khoo, executive director of the Archdiocesan Commission for the Pastoral Care of Migrants and Itinerant People. He gave the example of the successful campaign to raise awareness of dengue fever.

Jolovan Wham, executive director of the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (Home), called for stricter rules and regulations.

This means including domestic workers in the Work Injury Compensation Act so they receive payouts in the event of death or injury, he said.

Cleaning windows in high-rise buildings should also not form part of maids’ duties, he added. ‘It is not worth risking someone’s life over some dirt.’

But others say the responsibility cannot rest only on the shoulders of employers.

Developer Ritchie Chua, who has a domestic helper, said: “Even if the employers warn the maids, they might not understand because they are not educated.”

The 43-year-old said he provides safety belts for workers on his construction sites — but they often remove them later, complaining that they are “very troublesome.”

Maids may have a similar attitude, he said.

Today, the MOM is due to hold a media briefing on ensuring the safety of foreign domestic workers.