What would you do if your maid was pregnant? We re-visit this story for insight.
In a gruesome turn of events, a newborn baby boy was found dead in the toilet of Qatar Airways flight 956, which had just arrived in Jakarta’s Soekarno-Hatta International Airport from Doha, Qatar. The incident occurred last year.
Cabin cleaners apparently made the horrifying discovery while cleaning up, after all the passengers exited the plane.
The baby’s mother is apparently an Indonesian maid, whose initials have been revealed to be EWR. It has emerged that EWR was only 7 months into her pregnancy. It is not known for sure at this point of time whether she had a premature delivery on the aeroplane, or if she somehow managed to smuggle the baby into the plane, to be dumped into the toilet.
Officials suspect some foul play. As per Okezonetoday, Soekarno-Hatta Airport Police Spokesperson AKP Sutrisna said, “We’re still investigating her motives. If she gave birth on board the plane then why didn’t she notify anyone or ask for help at the time?” Initial forensic reports show that the baby died shortly after birth.
Police have not heard EWR’s version of events however, as she is currently recuperating in intensive care at the Kramat Jati Police Hospital.
An Analysis
Why would a mother dump her baby into the toilet? If the maid could do that to her own baby, would yours be safe with her? However, as quick as we may be, to judge and condemn, the primary reason may be that it was an unwanted pregnancy. Perhaps it was the fear of losing her job when the pregnancy came out in the open.
In the past too, there have been numerous cases of women dumping their newborns unceremoniously into airplane toilets, taking advantage of the anonymity that an aeroplane offered. Our heart bleeds for all those tiny, innocent souls who were rubbished stone-heartedly.
What if you found out that your maid was pregnant?
In Singapore, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) clearly specifies that, those on work permits cannot become pregnant or give birth here unless they are married to Singapore citizens or permanent residents with the government’s permission.
If a foreign domestic maid gets pregnant while on the job it is essential to notify the MOM’s Work Pass Division. You will have to contact them and supply them with your information and essential details. The things that you must include are the name of the foreign domestic worker, the work permit number, a letter from the doctor that will confirm the pregnancy and also the delivery date, and the citizenship of the maid if it is applicable.
Thereafter, authorities will cancel the maid’s work permits. And the employer must buy the maid a ticket home.
Employers who don’t follow these steps risk losing the $5,000 they have as security deposit with the ministry.
Also READ: What to do if your maid gets pregnant
Helplines
If ever in crisis, here are some helplines which will help you make an informed choice:
Source: Coconuts Jakarta
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