Strip Search is Sexual Abuse

Ms Pachino dared not defy the order coming from one so fierce. Not only that, she had just been fired and depended on the goodwill of both her boss and Han Tu. Just one word from Madam and she would be on the next plane home. And even if Madam did not require her to go home, if Ms Pachino was not co-operative, Han Tu would not find her another job.

Han Tu had already searched Ms Pachino's luggage and there was no trace of the missing earring. But, eager to please Madam, Han Tu refused to give up. If the missing earring was not in the maid's luggage, then she must be hiding it in her bra or panties, she concluded.

Well, Ms Pachino, embarassed and humiliated, nevertheless obliged and bared all for Han Tu to inspect. Still the missing earring was nowhere in sight. But wait! There was one more place to look. It must be on her body! But to ascertain if Ms Pachino was actually hiding the missing item on her body would require x-ray or a physical probe. X-ray is out of the question. But who would dare to conduct the probe?

If a man were to do that, putting his finger where it was not wanted, he could be charged with outraging the modesty of a woman and end up with six strokes of the cane on his behind and 6 months behind bars. But what if the offending party is a woman, like Han Tu? She will not get six strokes, but will still be subject to imprisonment. According to one lawyer quoted by Mr Clement Mesenas, Editor-at-Large, weekend Today, July 14, 2007, such acts can lead up to two years jail or caning.

Mr Mesenas, in "A story out of the dark ages", describes how Ms Dolores (not her real name) a newly arrived domestic worker from the Philippines was asked to strip on the day after she arrived in Singapore. This is no way for Singapore, which claims to be a first world (and therefore a modern, civilised) country, to welcome a foreign domestic worker whose presence makes it possible for Madam to play a more productive role in the economy!

The reason for the search was "to make sure that she was clean." One inspection was, mystifyingly, not enough and three days later, Ms Dolores was asked yet again to remove all her clothes.

Why it is necessary to ask a woman to remove all her clothes to show that she is clean is beyond comprehension. This is clearly an outrage of a woman's modesty, a violation of her dignity, an offence punishable by up to 2 years behind bars.

If you are reading this, you would probably have been in Singapore for some time and therefore not only know your rights, but you also know that the Singapore government will not tolerate abuse of foreign domestic workers. In fact, to emphasise the point, the penalty for an offence on a foreign domestic worker is 50% more than on a local. In other words, if the punishment for an offence against a local is six months behind bars, it will be nine months behind bars if the victim is a foreign domestic worker. And only very stupid people would do to you what Han Tu did to Ms Dolores.

But if you were in Ms Dolores' shoes, what would you do? Would you be so desperately in need of the job that you are prepared to put up with this indignity twice in 4 days so that you can slave away for over 7 months for $10.00 a month before you can start to send money home? Will you be prepared to put up with more insults to your dignity at the end of two years, when Madam misplaces her diamond ring and accuses you of stealing it?

However since you are not in Ms Dolores' shoes, what will you do if you should in future meet someone (not necessarily a Filipina) who is similarly victimised? Will you advise her to report to her Embassy, MOM or the Police? Or, would you, for good measure advise her to report to all three? But if she is afraid or unable to make a report, will you take the initiative and make the report yourself? Many cases of abuse would not have come to light if someone else other than the victim did not file a report. So if you want to see justice done, you have file a report yourself.

An ounce of prevention is better than any amount of cure. If you or someone you know is in the habit of submitting a friend's application (biodata) to an agency, it would be wise to check out the agency first. If that proves too time-consuming, ask a friend with experience to recommend an agency that treats foreign women with the respect they deserve as human beings.