Clean canal and tree leaves, maid told

A MAID has been spotted cleaning the canal and wiping tree leaves - on her employer's orders - to prevent mosquitoes from breeding near Lorong Chuan.

Residents have seen the maid in Colchester Grove entering the canal, which is 3m deep and 4m wide, to clean it with a trowel. She has also been seen many times carrying a cloth and bucket of water to a nearby park to clean the leaves of the plants there.

One resident was so puzzled by her actions that he took photos of her and went to the house she worked at to ask what was going on.

The resident, who declined to be named, told evening daily Lianhe Wanbao yesterday that the maid said she had "nothing to do", having finished all her household chores, so her employer asked her to clean the canal.

When approached by Wanbao, her employer admitted that he had let her clean the canal, saying that it was to prevent the breeding of mosquitoes.

"What's wrong with that?" he asked.

According to him, there were a lot of plants on both sides of the canal behind his terrace house.

"The leaves that fall into the canal can cause blockages and allow mosquitoes to breed. My family and friends often visit us and I do not want them to be bitten by mosquitoes."

He said that he had made many calls to the authorities, but was told that they clean the canal only once a month.

When contacted, Tay Khoon Beng, owner of Best Home Employment Agency said he did not approve of the employer's actions, explaining that a maid's duties are restricted to within the house, and any work beyond the premises is not within her job scope.

"If an employer makes any such request, the maid can reject it, " said Mr Tay.

myp@sph.com.sg

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