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SINGAPORE: A 29-year-old Singaporean woman has been jailed after forcing her domestic helper to perform repeated squats while reciting self-insulting phrases such as “I am stupid” and “I am crazy”.

Eylaiza Benazir D/O Mohamad Ausman was sentenced on May 7 to seven months’ jail and fined S$5,000. The report, according to Mothership, published on May 8, said she pleaded guilty to one assault charge involving her helper and a separate harassment case involving staff at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital.

The abuse case centred on a July 2024 incident at her home. Court documents showed Eylaiza became upset over several household matters and ordered the helper to do squats as punishment.

One issue involved the helper assisting Eylaiza’s five-year-old daughter in wearing a jacket because the child thought it looked nice. Eylaiza reportedly felt the child would become too warm and punished the helper with 20 squats while making her repeat the Malay phrase “saya bodoh”, meaning “I am stupid”.

The punishment escalated after Eylaiza checked the fridge and became unhappy that frozen food hadn’t been stored properly. She then ordered another 20 squats, this time while making the helper repeat “saya gila”, or “I am crazy”.

By then, the helper’s legs had cramped badly, and she struggled to stand properly, court documents stated. The situation worsened after Eylaiza became angry that the helper had bought the sweet potatoes from Indonesia rather than Japan. One of the potatoes was allegedly thrown at the helper’s shin, causing pain.

She then ordered another round of squats from the helper. The helper tried to continue, but couldn’t complete them because of the cramps. Court documents said Eylaiza’s husband later stepped in and tried to stop the punishment.

Physical abuse went beyond forced squats

The court heard the abuse didn’t stop with the squats. Eylaiza later pulled the helper by the ear towards the fridge, forcing her to move forward to ease the pain.

In another incident, she splashed water on the helper’s face after noticing soap residue in a milk bottle, and then pushed her shoulder. That same evening, the helper decided to escape the flat after pretending she was taking out rubbish.

Using another person’s phone downstairs, she called the police and said her employer was fighting with her. The next day, doctors at Woodlands Health found tenderness in both her shins, which caused pain and difficulty walking. She was later given medication for relief.

The repeated demands to also say self-degrading phrases while forced exercising turned the punishment into public humiliation inside the home.

Singapore has seen several maid abuse cases over the years, but courts have repeatedly treated psychological humiliation alongside physical harm as a serious aggravating factor. The combination usually points to power being used to demean rather than discipline.

Verbal abuse towards hospital staff and police officers

Eylaiza was also fined S$5,000 over a separate incident at KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital in March 2024.

Court documents showed she had brought her infant son to the hospital because he was coughing. Doctors later diagnosed the child with bronchitis and advised against discharge due to the seriousness of the condition.

The court heard Eylaiza became increasingly upset with hospital staff and refused to sign a discharge form against medical advice. She later raised her voice at staff members, police officers, and a 67-year-old nurse clinician.

According to court records, she insulted staff repeatedly and mocked one police officer by calling him “sassy like a girl” several times during the dispute.

Prosecutors described her conduct towards the helper as degrading and humiliating. They also noted the hospital incident lasted around two hours and involved repeated verbal abuse.

Cases like this continue to raise difficult questions about how some domestic workers are treated behind closed doors. Many helpers live in their employers’ homes, making it harder to walk away when tensions rise.

When punishment crosses into humiliation and fear, it stops being a household dispute and becomes horrible abuse. Courts stepping in firmly sends a message that any form of personal frustration doesn’t excuse cruelty to others.

This article (Singaporean woman jailed for forcing her maid with squat punishments while repeating “I am stupid” and “I am crazy”) first appeared on The Independent Singapore News.