Mother, daughter charged in murder of maid in Singapore

By Kirsten Han

SINGAPORE (AA) – Two women could end up facing the death penalty in Singapore after being charged for the murder of their domestic worker, local press reported Friday.

Prema S. Naraynasamy, 58, and her daughter Gaiyathiri Murugayan, 36, were accused of killing Piang Ngaih Don, a 24-year-old Myanmar domestic worker, in their flat earlier this week.

According to local news website TODAYonline, court documents did not indicate if Piang was found with any injuries, or how the alleged murder had taken place.

The police, responding to a call for assistance Tuesday, had found her lying motionless, and she was pronounced dead at the scene.

Local newspaper The Straits Times reported that Piang Ngaih Don had been working for the family for around a year.

She had travelled to Singapore seeking better income after finding her wages as a construction worker in Myanmar inadequate.

The paper added that Piang had indicated to her brother the desire to return home next month, but that she was concerned she would not be able to afford the plane ticket.

According to researchers and migrant rights activists, domestic workers from Myanmar are often paid less than their counterparts from countries like Indonesia or the Philippines.

Research conducted by the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics, or HOME, found that Myanmar domestic workers are "susceptible to a wide range of mental health issues", and that they are paid less than the average monthly salary of 515 Singapore dollars ($381).

Due to factors such as language barriers, Myanmar domestic workers were also found to be less likely to seek help if they encounter abuse or exploitation.

The court has granted the prosecution's request for both Naraynasamy and Murugayan to be remanded for further investigations.

They will appear in court again next Thursday.

If convicted of murder, they could face either life imprisonment or the death penalty.