SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employer has reported their foreign domestic helper to the police after discovering that she had borrowed money from a loan s
SINGAPORE: A Singaporean employer has reported their foreign domestic helper to the police after discovering that she had borrowed money from a loan shark and fled to Indonesia without repaying the loan.
The employer, Ada Lee, shared her distressing experience on social media, revealing that she learned about the loan when the loan shark messaged her directly. The loan shark even sent a photo taken just outside her HDB flat gate, prompting Ada to alert the authorities.
Ada explained that the helper, identified as Intan Ayu, was hired to assist with the care of her elderly father, who is ill. Ayu had been employed in the family’s home for just under a year, from July 5, 2022, to April 19, 2023.
On April 15, Ayu requested a salary advance, citing her father’s illness. Although she had a history of asking for advances, Ada and her family, feeling sympathetic, agreed to give her an advance of $400.
However, just four days later, Ayu informed Ada that her father had asked her to return to Indonesia and that she needed to leave Singapore by April 21. The family was taken aback and contacted their agent, who indicated that Ayu could not leave Indonesia due to her contract with the agency.
Despite this, Ada ultimately agreed to terminate Ayu’s employment contract immediately out of sympathy. The family did not request the return of the salary advance and even gave her an ang pow as she departed for Indonesia.
Two days after Ayu left for Indonesia, Ada’s brother received a message from a loan shark claiming that the maid had borrowed money from him and had failed to repay the loan. The loan shark sent multiple screenshots of Ayu’s ID and attached a photo of the exterior of their flat.
With their elderly parents at home, and their father currently hospitalized, the siblings decided to file a police report. While the amount borrowed from the loan shark was not substantial, Ada expressed concern that Ayu may owe money to other loan sharks as well.
In her Facebook post, Ada wrote: “My family and I were in distress as that person who claimed to be a loan shark had my address and even took a picture of my doorstep. Our first instinct was to contact Wendy (the agent), but all we received from her was that the work permit had been revoked, and there was nothing they could do. Now, we can only file a police report.”
She urged other employers to exercise caution, adding, “If you have a helper at home, please check with them if they’re facing any financial issues to avoid dealing with what we have gone through. While not all helpers are the same, prevention is better than cure.”
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