Money Talks Podcast: The heavy costs of raising a special needs child

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And everything is carried out in accordance with the guidance we have given.

Andrea:
I understand you also have a younger kid, right? And she’s not specific requirements. What role does she play in your will?

Frederic: 
Indeed, her younger girl is called Sawako. Naturally, she’s fully conscious of her daughter’s condition. And the way we’ve structured… the legal terms of the deputyship is that first Yuko and I will be handling Ayano’s finances, and when Yuko and I pass on… the disbursement will ( follow ) our instructions.

And Sawako has the right to appoint us as lawful guardian, but she is not required to do so. It’s extra, and that’s a personal choice.

We did not want her to possess that stress because we thought, we are the parents. We’re the carers. It is our role to plan for Ayano’s ( future ). Whether Sawako wants to help in the future, that’s her choice, but it should not be imposed by us on her when she’s so fresh. She’s ( also ) entitled to have her own future. &nbsp,

Andrea:
I think that’s a good evaluation… and it must have put you in quite a difficult position as families as well to two very different kids. What’s the most crucial point you’ve included in this tradition plan to make sure that Ayano is cared for when you and your spouse are no longer present? &nbsp,

Frederic:
The most crucial was, I would say, no one issue, but three things. We want her to possess a roof, have every day, and seek medical attention if necessary. &nbsp,

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Sheikh Hasina poses a Bangladesh conundrum for India

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EPA Indian Prime Minister Narendra Modi (R) shakes hands with Bangladeshi Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina during a ceremonial reception at the Presidential Palace in New Delhi, India, 22 June 2024. EPA

Sheikh Hasina, the former prime minister of Bangladesh, rushed to land at a martial center close to Delhi after a turbulent exit. Fast a month later.

Ms Hasina’s dramatic ouster on 5 August followed weeks of student-led protests which spiralled into deadly, nationwide unrest. She was initially expected to stay in India for just a short period, but reports say her attempts to seek asylum in the UK, the US and the UAE have not been successful so far.

Delhi has had to work with the new time authorities in Dhaka to develop a strong relationship with her continued existence in India. &nbsp,

For India, Bangladesh is not just any adjacent country. It’s a strategic partner and a close ally essential to India’s borders safety, especially in the north-eastern state. &nbsp,

The two nations ‘ porous border is 4,096 kilometers ( 2,545 miles ) long, making it relatively simple for armed insurgent groups from India’s north-eastern states to enter Bangladesh for a safe haven. &nbsp,

After Ms Hasina’s Awami League party came to power in 2009, it cracked down on some of these ethnic militant groups. Ms Hasina also amicably settled several border disputes with India.  

While border protection is at the base of the marriage, there are financial features too. During Ms Hasina’s 15-year law, business connections and communication between the two nations flourished. &nbsp, India has gained street, river and station access via Bangladesh to transport items to its north-eastern state. &nbsp,

India has also provided more than$ 7 billion ( £5.3 billion ) as a line of credit to Bangladesh for infrastructure and development projects since 2010. &nbsp,

Delhi must work diligently to prevent these benefits from being lost as a result of Ms. Hasina’s unexpected departure. &nbsp,

” It’s a loss in the sense that any turmoil in our village is often undesired”, says Pinak Ranjan Chakravarty, &nbsp, a former Indian High Commissioner in Dhaka. &nbsp,

However, the former diplomat insists that Delhi will cooperate with the interim administration in Dhaka because “you ca n’t dictate what they do internally” and that” there is no choice.” &nbsp,

Getty Images Anti-government protestors display Bangladesh's national flag as they storm Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina's palace in Dhaka on August 5, 2024. Bangladesh army chief Waker-Uz-Zaman spent nearly four decades rising to the top of the military and said on August 5, he was "taking full responsibility" after Prime Minister Sheikh Hasina was ousted and fledGetty Images

The Indian government has wasted no time in reaching out to the interim government in Dhaka, with Prime Minister Narendra Modi holding a telephone conversation with leader Muhammad Yunus.

Delhi will need to wait for it to quell Bangladesh’s outrage over its unwavering support of Ms. Hasina and her Awami League for the next 15 times. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Some Bangladeshis attribute Delhi’s sharp support of three contentious votes won by Ms. Hasina’s party to widespread voter rigging, according to allegations of widespread vote-rigging. &nbsp,

With the demise of Ms. Hasina, Bangladesh and Nepal’s “neighbourhood first” legislation have gotten a second chance in Delhi, as they joined the Maldives and Nepal in repressing any attempt at supremacy by India. &nbsp,

Delhi is seen as a regional powerhouse, especially as rival China is also vying for dominance in the region, according to analysts, who claim that if it wants to maintain its position as a regional powerhouse, it ca n’t afford to lose its influence in another neighboring nation. &nbsp,

Just last year, Mohamed Muizzu won the presidency in the Maldives on the back of his very public anti-India stand. 

According to Debapriya Bhattacharya, a senior analyst with the Dhaka Center for Policy Dialogue,” It’s time for India to take some time to think about its local policy.”

Delhi needs to assess whether it has taken the viewpoints of its local colleagues into account, he says.

” I am not only talking about Bangladesh ,]but also] almost all other countries in the region”, adds Mr Bhattacharya, who heads a committee appointed by the interim government to prepare a white paper on the state of Bangladesh’s economy.

For instance, analysts in the case of Bangladesh point out that successive Indian governments have failed to collaborate with other opposition parties, particularly the Bangladesh Nationalist Party ( BNP ). &nbsp,

” India apparently believed that Bangladesh’s Awami League and its administration are its only supporters. That was a tactical blunder”, says Abdul Moyeen Khan, a top leader of the BNP. &nbsp, &nbsp,

BNP officials are assured of winning if free and fair elections are held in Bangladesh in the upcoming months.

Delhi may face a political challenge as a result. There is a rumored trust gap between India and the BNP, which is led by Begum Khaleda Zia, who had previously served as prime minister for two conditions. &nbsp,

Ms. Zia, who has been in prison most of her life since 2018, has consistently denied corruption allegations against her and accuses Ms. Hasina of political vendetta. She has just been released from jail and is recovering from her condition. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Getty Images Nobel prize laureates Mohammed Yunus of Bangladesh gives speech at FICCI, New Delhi. Getty Images

Delhi and the BNP officials will have to work through their disagreements in the coming weeks.

The diplomatic partnership between Delhi and the earlier BNP-led coalition government between 2001 and 2006 deteriorated, with Delhi accusing Dhaka of house militants from India’s north-east.

During Ms Zia’s rule, Hindu leaders in Bangladesh said there were a series of attacks against them – including murder, looting and rape – by Islamist parties and the BNP which began as the election results were announced in 2001. 

The BNP refutes the accusations of sheltering anti-Indian militants and carrying out attacks on majority Hindus in 2001.

BNP leaders, including Mr Khan, say India has n’t been forthcoming in engaging with them, adding that” now it’s time for a policy shift in Delhi”. &nbsp, &nbsp,

He also stresses that given India’s contact, size and its growing economic and military might, his party does not make the mistake of harbouring any anti-Indian rebels.

Various elements are also at play in the anger against India. The posting of liquid resources between India and Bangladesh is a controversial issue because they both have 54 river.

The recent floods that southeast Bangladesh experienced were the result of heavy rains, an illustration of how misinformation can lead to conflict between the two nations. &nbsp,

The Indian state of Tripura experienced a rapid, big storm that flooded the Gumti valley, which flows between the two nations, inundating both river in neighboring Bangladesh and in the state. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Millions of people were affected with some losing their homes, possessions and land. Numerous locals and users of social media sites accused India of purposefully causing the floods by releasing water from a bridge at night. &nbsp,

Getty Images Volunteers try to make a que before delivering relief food package in Feni, Chittagong, Bangladesh, August 26, 2024.Getty Images

The Indian external affairs ministry was forced to issue a statement denying this, explaining that the floods had been caused by heavy rains in the catchment areas of the Gumti river. 

Then there is another element- China. Beijing wants to expand its presence in Bangladesh as it fights for local power against India. &nbsp,

After winning the Maldives&nbsp poll, Mr. Muizzu’s decision to make his second state visit to China greeted the red carpet.

Delhi would want to prevent the same fate with Bangladesh. And it hopes that Bangladesh’s reliance on American goods and trade did give it time to refine its political plan and improve its reputation. &nbsp,

In addition to the new government’s proper request, Delhi will have to consider Ms. Hasina’s existence in India.

A statement issued on her behalf by her son Sajeeb Wazed Joy last month had already stoked anger in Bangladesh. 

India would n’t want to ask Ms. Hasina to leave because her future is uncertain and would appear to leave a formidable former ally in the dark. &nbsp,

” It does n’t matter how she is accorded hospitality in India. However, it is important for Bangladeshis to know how she interferes in domestic concerns it. If she speaks against the latest time government, that would be considered as an act of hostility”, Mr Bhattacharya warned. &nbsp, &nbsp,

Delhi officials will expect that Ms. Hasina chooses to pursue her own interests without imposing India’s will on her.

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Two men on trial for raping or sexually assaulting woman in hotel room

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SINGAPORE: A woman made plans to meet a former colleague when they were both in Singapore, but the dinner never materialised.

Instead, she allegedly passed out after drinking with her ex-colleague and his friend in a hotel room and woke up in pain, suspecting she had been raped.

The two foreign men went on trial on Monday (Sep 2) for charges of rape or sexual assault, molestation and obstructing justice by deleting messages to each other.

A gag order on their identities and the victim’s identity meant that key information identifying the men were redacted from court documents, including their names, their professions, their nationalities and other details that might identify the victim.

The prosecution had tried to get the court to lift the gag order on the two men’s identities last week, but ultimately failed.

The first accused, a 49-year-old man, is contesting three charges of molestation, sexual assault and obstructing justice.

The second accused, a 50-year-old men, is on trial for six charges including rape, molestation, possessing an intimate image and obstructing justice.

The pair have been friends for about 20 years. They appeared in court in person, wearing suits.

The court heard that the alleged victim had previously worked under the first accused, A, and continued to stay in touch occasionally. She did not know the second accused, B, personally but was aware of his “professional reputation”.

A is represented by Mr Chenthil Kumarasingam and Ms Harjeet Kaur Dhaliwal from Withers KhattarWong, while B is represented by Mr Eugene Thuraisingam and Mr Johannes Hadi from Mr Thuraisingam’s law firm.

THE CASE

According to a set of facts agreed on by the prosecution and defence, the alleged victim asked A when he was flying to Singapore on Feb 23, 2023.

She said she would also be in the country and wondered if they were taking the same flight. A suggested meeting for dinner in Singapore and plans were later made.

On Feb 24 and Feb 25, A and B checked into different rooms at the Carlton Hotel in Bras Basah. A was to meet the alleged victim for dinner on Feb 26, 2023.

According to the prosecution’s case, A and B drank alcohol in B’s room that afternoon and shared a portion of viagra.

Between 5.11pm and 6pm, B’s friend, known only as Ms J, a 52-year-old foreign teacher working in Singapore, joined them.

Ms J had met B on a dating application in 2022 and had a “casual intimate relationship” in the past.

Ms J kissed B on the bed while A was seated in the corner of the room, a fact the prosecution and defence agree on.

The prosecutors then contend that the two men alluded to having a “threesome” sexual encounter with Ms J, but she rejected them and left for her own dinner appointment at around 6pm.

Meanwhile, the alleged victim was supposed to meet A for dinner at a restaurant. However, A asked her to buy three to four cans of tonic and head to his hotel room, the prosecutors contend.

The alleged victim then bought sparkling water from Raffles City and met A at Carlton Hotel’s lift lobby, where he took her up to the room.

According to the prosecution’s opening statement, the alleged victim will testify that A introduced her to B. The woman recognised B, as she had read his books before.

The men then invited the alleged victim to drink some alcohol, encouraging her to “bottoms up” and drink each glass at one go, the prosecutors alleged.

The alcohol content of the gin and white wine poured into the glasses was 47.3 per cent and 13 per cent respectively.

The conversation turned risque and bawdy, the prosecution claimed.

THE WOMAN’S ALLEGATIONS

The woman intended to head for dinner after finishing the drinks, but her last clear memory was having a half-glass of white wine at about 6.25pm. After this, she passed out.

She allegedly has no memory of what happened next and drifted in and out of consciousness, unable to open her eyes.

However, she alleged that someone removed her clothes and she was violated on various parts of her body, with her saying “no” many times.

She also recalled vomiting in the toilet while someone held her from behind, and lying naked on the floor of the cubicle while someone showered her.

Closed-circuit television footage showed that A left the hotel room at around 8.20pm.

At about 1am on Feb 27, 2023, the alleged victim woke up and realised she was naked on the bed with someone, the prosecution said.

She felt sore in her whole body and had a headache and difficulty breathing. She asked for the time and who the person beside her was, and B allegedly identified himself.

The alleged victim woke up again at 3am, beside B, the prosecutors alleged. She dressed herself, asking B what happened and why she was naked. She also told B that she felt she had been raped, the prosecution said in their opening statement.

According to the facts agreed on by the prosecution and defence, the woman left the hotel room with B at about 3.45am on Feb 27, 2023. A returned to the hotel soon after and called the operator, requesting fresh linen and towels.

Housekeeping then brought fresh linen to the room and removed some linen and trash.

The two men met later that morning in the hotel lobby. At about 12.43pm, A sent a message to the alleged victim stating: “Hey how are you feeling this morning? Not going to be drinking for a while now?”

The woman replied: “(redacted), can you explain to me what happened last night?”

A replied: “Yes, definitely. Do you want to meet for coffee later?” 

The woman said “later this afternoon”, stating that she was “still weak”.

She went to Raffles Hospital for an examination as she wanted to know if she had been sexually assaulted. She was referred to KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital, which reported the case to the police.

The two men met for lunch at a restaurant in Raffles City before returning to the hotel, where they were arrested by the police later that afternoon.

B is accused of deleting communications he had with A, along with an image he had allegedly taken of the woman lying naked on the shower floor, sometime before the police arrested him.

As part of its case, the prosecution will be asking to admit statements made by the two men in the form of audiovisual recordings, where they allegedly admitted to the acts.

The alleged victim was the first on the stand for the prosecution. However, she did not want to testify in open, public court, so the prosecution successfully applied for her to testify in camera.

The media was therefore not allowed in for her evidence.

The court also applied a shielding measure – with a large board in place to block her view of the two men, and their view of her.

The prosecution will also be calling witnesses from Carlton Hotel, doctors and a senior consultant at the department of urology of Changi General Hospital.

A senior consultant from the Institute of Mental Health’s Department of Forensic Psychiatry, will testify for the prosecution that the alleged victim’s estimated blood alcohol content meant that she was likely intoxicated, disinhibited and with impaired judgment at the time.

The trial continues.

The penalties for rape and sexual assault by penetration are a jail term of up to 20 years and a fine or caning.

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Maharashtra: Collapse of Shivaji statue shakes up politics in the state

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The collapse of a massive statue of a 17th Century ruler has sparked protests and a political controversy in the western Indian state of Maharashtra.

Shivaji Shahaji Bhosale was a warrior king whose exploits against the Mughals made him a hero during his own lifetime. He is revered in the state and celebrated as an icon of the Hindu right.

So the statue’s collapse, weeks before elections are due in Maharashtra, has put the state’s ruling coalition on the back foot and given opposition parties a potent issue to raise.

It even drew an apology from Prime Minister Narendra Modi, who inaugurated the statue in December and whose Bharatiya Janata Party (BJP) is part of Maharashtra’s ruling coalition.

“I extend my apologies to all those who worship Chhatrapati Shivaji Maharaj (Emperor Shivaji) as their revered deity. I know their sentiments are hurt,” he said on Friday.

The BJP is part of an alliance which runs the state government along with breakaway factions of two regional parties, the Shiv Sena and the National Congress Party (NCP).

Even members of the NCP held “silent protests” last week, demanding action from the state government that they are part of.

Built at a cost of 23.6m rupees ($281,285; £214,185), the 35-ft (10.6m) statue in Sindhudurg district collapsed on 26 August amid heavy monsoon rains.

The opposition has demanded Chief Minister Eknath Shinde’s resignation, alleging corruption in its construction.

Senior opposition leader Sharad Pawar said during a protest rally that numerous statues of Shivaji across the state were still standing but only the newly installed one had collapsed.

“There was corruption in the process of installing the statue. This is an insult to Chhatrapati Maharaj,” he alleged.

Mr Shinde has denied the charges, saying the statue collapsed because of strong winds in the coastal town.

Ravindra Chavan, a state minister, said that the public works department, which he heads, had already informed the Indian Navy – responsible for overseeing the statue’s construction – about rust in its nuts and bolts.”

Ashish Shelar, the BJP’s state chief, has also apologised publicly, saying the mistake will be rectified and the culprits will face punishment. Police have arrested one person, the structural consultant on the project, and say they are on the lookout for the statue’s sculptor.

Formally crowned as Chhatrapati – king in Sanskrit – in 1674 at Rajkot fort where the collapsed statue was installed, Shivaji ruled over a Maratha kingdom which included parts of western, central and southern India. He was seen as an astute leader who successfully made alliances with or militarily resisted the ruling powers of his time.

He has become an increasingly central figure in Maharashtra’s politics of late and no political party can afford to ignore him or be accused of insulting him. Marathas from Shivaji’s caste dominate the political landscape of the state – 12 of 20 chief ministers since the state’s formation have been Marathas.

Politicians would also not prefer to inflame the sentiments of the Maratha community, who have repeatedly protested in recent years demanding quotas in government jobs and educational institutions.

So the opposition will hope to frame the issue as an insult to the state and Maratha pride.

The opposition alliance, called Maha Vikas Aghadi (MVA) has organised state-wide protests. In response, the BJP has held counter-protests, accusing the MVA of politicising the issue.

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Australian childcare worker guilty of abusing dozens of girls

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A former childcare worker in Australia has pleaded guilty to raping and sexually abusing dozens of young girls under his care for over 20 years.

Ashley Paul Griffith, 46, confessed to committing 307 offences at childcare centres in Brisbane and Italy between 2003 and 2022, a Queensland court heard on Monday.

Most of Griffith’s victims were under the age of 12, the court heard. The judge’s associate took over two hours to read out all of the charges against him.

Police have previously described Griffith as one of Australia’s worst-ever paedophiles.

The charges against him included 28 counts of rape, 190 counts of indecent treatment, 67 counts of making child exploitation material, four counts of producing such material, and one count of distributing it.

Several of his victims and their families were in court on Monday, and some parents cried when the names of their children were read out, according to ABC News.

“We see people going [into the childcare centre now] and I think, this happened to my child in that room,” said one child’s mother. “It’s a room of horrors.”

The same child’s father said he could not believe how Griffith could have gotten away with his crimes for 20 years.

The couple said that while they told their daughter about what happened, she was not able to fully understand because of her young age, ABC News reported.

“As she grows up, we’ll deal with that as it comes but it’s going to be something we deal with through our lives now,” her father said.

Griffith was arrested in August 2022 by Australia’s federal police, after they found thousands of photographs and videos related to his abuse that were uploaded onto the dark web.

Although faces were cropped out of the footage, investigators managed to trace them to Griffith because of a unique set of bedsheets seen in the background of the videos.

Police believe he recorded all his offences on his phones and cameras.

He was charged in November last year with more than 1,600 child sex offences, but most of these were eventually dropped.

Griffith remains in custody and will be sentenced at a later date.

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Singapore’s Jeralyn Tan wins boccia silver medal at Paris Paralympics

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SINGAPORE: Jeralyn Tan clinched a historic silver for Singapore at the Paris Paralympics on Monday (Sep 2), the country’s very first medal in the sport.

The 35-year-old world number 2 lost to home favourite Aurelie Aubert 4-5 in the women’s individual BC1 final.

But she nevertheless becomes only Singapore’s fourth Paralympic medallist, joining swimmers Yip Pin Xiu, Theresa Goh and equestrian Laurentia Tan in the history books.

On the way to the final, Tan had beaten Aubert 6-1 in the preliminary pool round, but the French world number 16 turned things around in the final.

Boccia, which means to bowl in Italian, is a target ball sport played by athletes in wheelchairs.

Players are required to throw or release balls towards a white target ball called a jack, and the aim is to land their ball as close as possible to the target or to knock the opponent’s ball out of the way.

Each player takes their turn to do this, and at the end of each round, the athlete whose ball is the closest to the jack scores one point.

He or she also receives an additional point for every ball that sits closer to the jack than their opponent’s closest ball.

At the end of four rounds, the person with the most points wins.

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Foreign worker who died in Tuas gas explosion suffered 95% burns, poor safety practices revealed: Coroner’s court

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SINGAPORE: A foreign worker who died in a gas explosion while checking gas cylinders at a building in Tuas had suffered 95 per cent burns to his body, with a coroner’s inquiry on Monday (Sep 2) revealing the poor workplace safety practices in place.

Mr Manku Suri Appa Rao died aged 38 on Dec 30, 2022 after the explosion, which was fuelled by acetylene – a highly flammable, colourless gas – left in cylinders he was checking.

The Indian national was the 46th workplace fatality that year.

The inquiry into his death opened on Monday before State Coroner Adam Nakhoda, with a representative from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) stating that the ministry is considering taking action against those involved.

The court heard that the fire was determined to be accidental in nature, likely originating from acetylene cylinders that Mr Rao was checking and maintaining with another colleague.

The cylinders were supposed to be spent, but contained remnant gas which likely acted as fuel for the explosion. Acetylene is highly flammable, with a concentration of as low as 2.3 per cent in the air able to result in combustion.

A fire investigator told the court that the most probable cause of the fire was an electrical source, such as from electric sockets, wirings or components.

Although the two employees were working in a relatively open area, the area was likely not well-ventilated, said the investigator.

This was because a witness stated that he had to turn on two fans to blow away dust from his work.

According to MOM’s representative, the valve stems of 19 cylinders were found to be loosened. This could have resulted in a release of remnant gas into the area.

The fire raged for about 23 minutes before the Singapore Civil Defence Force extinguished it.

The ventilation by the two fans could have been inadequate for the 19 cylinders, said the representative.

POOR WORKPLACE SAFETY PRACTICES

The court heard that there was no consideration at the workplace for the effective capture and removal of gas, beyond the use of the fans for “dilution and ventilation”.

There were also no gas detectors for flammable gas, and investigations revealed that there was a difference between what was put down as safe work procedures to be followed and actual operations.

Operators were allowed to improvise their manner of work according to their preference.

Production operators were responsible for identifying gas cylinders requiring maintenance and to vent them by gradually opening the valves to ensure no gas remained inside. This was to be done by verification with a pressure gauge.

The venting process was supposed to be repeated until the pressure gauge displayed zero.

However, interviews later revealed variations in processes. There were no standardised venting work processes or a single pre-determined venting location.

Workers were told there were a few locations within the premises they could vent the cylinders at, and it was left to them to make the choice.

There was also no mention of staggering the work done, such as to fully vent each of the 19 cylinders before moving on to the next.

Some operators also used their hands to test the gas pressure and used the pressure gauge only if they felt the pressure was high.

The workplace also did not undergo a proper identification and classification of hazardous areas, such that adequate measures could be taken, the MOM representative said.

There was also no designated person responsible for checking electrical equipment prior to the accident.

After the incident occurred, a workplace safety and health bulletin was issued in January 2023, calling on companies storing or handling flammable gas cylinders to urgently assess their safety measures.

Suggested measures include:

  • Discharging flammable gases from cylinders only under safe conditions and after a thorough assessment of work and environmental risks
  • Flammable gases should be discharged through vent lines to a safe location, with control valves and a flame arrestor well as effective ventilation to prevent flammable gas build-up
  • Removing all potential sources of ignition and checking electrical outlets for overloading
  • Equipping workers with personal protective equipment

The coroner will release his findings at a later date.

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Woman fined for bringing maid to Singapore from the Philippines to work illegally

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SINGAPORE: A Filipino woman who brought her maid from the Philippines to Singapore to work for her household of seven was fined by a court on Monday (Sep 2).

Fodor Janelle Joven, 32, was fined S$8,800 (US$6,730) after pleading guilty to one count of hiring a domestic worker without a valid work pass under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).

The court heard that Joven had a Singaporean partner. They had two children and stayed in a three-room Housing Board flat with Joven’s in-laws, making a total of seven occupants in the flat.

Joven was in Singapore on a short-term visit pass.

Before coming to Singapore, Joven hired 45-year-old Belen Jennifer Parungao as her domestic helper in the Philippines.

In around early May 2022, Joven suggested that Parungao come to Singapore and work for her as a domestic worker. 

Joven said they would not apply for a work pass. Parungao agreed and entered Singapore on May 19, 2022, on a short-term visit pass.

As Joven herself was on a short-term visit pass, she would make arrangements to travel out of Singapore together with her maid so they could renew their passes and stay in Singapore for longer.

They made a total of six such trips.

For about 11 months from May 19, 2022, to Apr 11, 2023, Parungao worked illegally as Joven’s maid, performing household chores and caring for Joven’s children.

She worked from 5am to 10pm daily, earning 10,000 to 12,000 Philippine pesos, or about S$240 to S$290, each month. She was not given any rest days.

Parungao’s salary was remitted to Joven’s mother in the Philippines, who would transfer the money to Parungao’s family.

On Apr 26 last year, employment inspectors from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) investigated the case after receiving information on the possible contravention of EFMA laws.

Joven married her Singaporean partner on Jul 11, 2024.

The prosecution sought a fine of S$9,000 to S$10,000 for Joven, citing the need for deterrence and the difficulty of detecting such cases.

“Such offences are typically only discovered upon inspections or receipts of complaints, as in the present case,” they said.

Joven had also avoided detection by extending Parangao’s stay in Singapore through six trips to countries in Southeast Asia, allowing her to remain in Singapore and work for Joven.

Visitors on short-term visit passes are not allowed to take on employment in Singapore.

The circumvention of MOM’s work pass framework has also undermined the framework’s integrity, said the prosecution.

“One of the main purposes of this framework is to safeguard more vulnerable foreign employees, such as (Parangao) who had no prior working experience in Singapore,” they said.

“Illegally employed domestic workers such as (Parangao) would not be able to avail themselves of the protection afforded by the work pass framework such as insurance.”

For employing a foreigner without a valid work pass, Joven could have been jailed for up to 12 months or fined between S$5,000 and S$30,000.

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