What do fish soup, Batam, and “ghosting” have in common?
A Singaporean woman named Hong Xuanyu. Here’s why.
51-Year-Old Woman Fined $13,000 for Offences Under Employment of Foreign Manpower Act
On Friday (25 August), 51-year-old Hong Xuanyu pleaded guilty to two charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
First, Hong was charged for failing to repatriate her Indonesian domestic helper, Ms Islahatul Alif, to her hometown—the 51-year-old had left the FDW at Batam, more than 1,000 kilometres away from her hometown.
In fact, the FDW’s hometown, Surabaya, was on a whole other island, Java.
How to go home? Swim ah?
Hong was also charged with employing Ms Islahatul as an assistant at her fish soup stall even though the FDW did not have a valid pass.
For these two charges, Hong was fined a total of $13,000.
Woman “Dumps” FDW at Batam Because FDW Didn’t Make Breakfast
So, why exactly did Hong leave Ms Islahatul at Batam?
As it turns out, Hong was just angry because Ms Islahatul didn’t make breakfast.
My faith in humanity dwindles every day…
Ms Islahatul came under Hong’s employment in February 2018. Yet, two months into her employment, Hong already wanted to send Ms Islahatul home.
The reason? On 28 April 2018, Ms Islahatul didn’t make breakfast, and Hong wasn’t very pleased.
A hungry woman is an angry woman.
So, Hong hatched a plan: to “dump” her FDW in Batam in the guise of a “holiday”.
And that’s precisely what Hong did. She told Ms Islahatul that she would be sending her back to her hometown for a ten-day holiday—an offer that Ms Islahatul initially rejected, concerned that she would be replaced while on “holiday”.
Regardless, Hong insisted and assured the FDW that she would not be replaced.
Yeah… Not replaced, just left behind.
Fast forward a few hours, the employer-employee pair took a ferry together and arrived in Batam in the evening. There, Hong paid Ms Islahatul $350 as her salary, which was the sum Hong arrived at after deducting the ferry ticket cost.
Then, Hong asked the FDW to find a ride to the airport and pay for her own flight to Surabaya. She then “ghosted” the FDW and returned to Singapore.
Worse than your ex-girlfriend sia.
FDW Stranded in Batam While Phone Battery was Dead; Work Permit Cancelled Without Her Knowledge
Now, Ms Islahatul was stranded in Batam with $350 and a phone with no battery.
Life can’t get any worse than this.
She eventually managed to borrow a phone from a cab driver to contact her employment agent, who then arranged accommodation for her in Batam.
Fortunately, Ms Islahatul eventually managed to return to Singapore with her employment agent’s help—she returned on 2 May 2018.
Regardless, this is still not the end of the FDW’s plight.
As it turns out, while Hong was bringing Ms Islahatul to her “holiday”, she had cancelled the FDW’s work permit. The 51-year-old did not even return the work permit to Ms Islahatul.
Respectfully, on behalf of all Singaporeans, we do not claim Hong.
If you think that was it, think again. Remember the other charge Hong pleaded guilty to?
It came about because Hong made Ms Islahatul work at her fish soup stall in Jurong Point, despite knowing that Ms Islahatul did not have a valid pass to do so.
From FDW to fish soup stall assistant—what a career switch.
Ms Islahatul had to slave away at the fish soup stall every day for nearly three weeks.
So, what’s your take on this? Do you think the $13,000 fine was enough to punish Hong for her offences?