Ema’s plight was raised to the authorities by the neighbouring maid’s employer after she told the latter in a note that she could not take it any more. (PHOTO: Getty Images)

Barred from using a phone and looking to ease her loneliness, a domestic worker resorted to passing notes to a fellow maid working in the home next door.

These notes turned into cries for help when Ema Rahmawati was abused by her employer’s daughter, 63-year-old Khoo Mee Choo.

Ema’s plight was raised to the authorities by the neighbouring maid’s employer after she told the latter in a note that she could not take it any more.

On Monday (3 December), Khoo was sentenced to 28 weeks’ jail at the State Courts. She was found guilty of four counts of voluntarily causing hurt and one count of using criminal force on Ema after a trial.

The real estate agent had earlier been ordered by the court to pay $4,580 to the maid as part of compensation and wages.

Forbidden from communicating with others

According to court documents, Ema began working for Khoo’s elderly mother, Chin Ah Lian, in December 2016. Chin often stayed with Khoo at her home in Pasir Ris Drive 1.

From the start of her employment, Ema was forbidden from communicating with others and was not allowed to use her mobile phone.

One month into her work, Khoo also began verbally and physically abusing Ema.

Khoo would use vulgarities when scolding Ema, which she did frequently. She was also found to have punched the latter’s head, kicked her buttocks, pulled her hair, pinched her forearm and hit her with a bunch of chopsticks and pinched her.

These acts took place on separate occasions over a three-month period.

Cries for help

Lonely and sad, Ema confided in Atika, an Indonesian maid working for Khoo’s neighbour, by surreptitiously handing her notes. Ema also recorded some instances of Khoo’s abuse in her diary.

After Atika left the country in February last year, her employer found the notes while cleaning out her former room.

The employer, known in court documents as Wendy, asked for her sister’s maid to translate the notes. Through this, they found out that Ema had been asking for food.

Wendy then slipped Ema some biscuits and three-in-one beverage sachets in her laundry along the corridor. However, Ema later told the court that she had asked for chocolate in jest.

Ema and Wendy began communicating via notes and Ema told Wendy about the abuse she had endured. She sought Wendy’s assistance.

After receiving a last note from Ema, who stated that she was “unable to take it any more”, Wendy called the police.

Wendy also testified in court that she had heard raised voices from Khoo’s home, which included the used of Bahasa Indonesia words such as “babi (pig)” and “bodo (stupid)”. She also testified to hearing Ema say “ma’am tolong, saya mau balik (I want to go back)” while crying.

Accused denies abuse

During the trial, Khoo argued that the maid’s injuries were either self-inflicted or accidental. She also denied abusing Ema or raising her voice at her.

She claimed that Ema’s accusations stemmed from her desire to change employers as well as her intention to return home and avoid repaying her outstanding loan to Khoo for the maid’s agent placement fee.

Khoo also alleged that Ema had fabricated evidence – including her notes to Wendy and diary entries – to make it appear as if she was suffering from physical violence so that Wendy would contact the maid agency for her.

Lawyer Lee Wei Fan, who represented Khoo, said in mitigation that his client has been diagnosed with Stage 3 colon cancer and is undergoing chemotherapy.

The lawyer said that his client had been under “tremendous stress” and acted out of character.

He added that Khoo had “no such issues with previous maids” and had acted out with Ema due to the “frustration she felt upon being diagnosed with cancer” as well as the pain from her treatment.

Khoo also still lives with her 93-year-old mother, he added.

The lawyer asked for three months’ jail for his client, giving the reasons that Ema had suffered only minor injuries and there was “no significant psychological harm”.

The prosecution sought eight months’ jail for Khoo.

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