Maid in Tampines arrested after allegedly brandishing knife at another in relationship dispute

Two foreign domestic workers were allegedly involved in an altercation at a Tampines HDB flat stairwell on Sunday (March 22), with one allegedly brandishing a knife over a relationship dispute. 

Responding to queries from AsiaOne, the police and Singapore Civil Defence Force said they received a call for assistance at Block 739 Tampines Street 72 at about 11.30am.

When police officers arrived, they observed a woman holding a knife along a corridor. 

The 35-year-old was subsequently disarmed and arrested for carrying an offensive weapon in a public place. 

She was taken conscious to Changi General Hospital. Police investigations are ongoing.

A 75-year-old resident living on the second floor of the block told Shin Min Daily News that he and his wife heard shouting from the stairwell on the day of the incident.  

According to the resident, his wife saw one of the helpers holding a small knife but did not witness her harming anyone.

One of them was his neighbour's helper, while the other lived in a different block. Following the incident, his neighbour's helper reportedly returned home, the resident said.

He noted that four police vehicles responded to the scene. 

The resident described his neighbour's maid as friendly and said he had often seen her interacting with the other maid near the stairwell, reported Shin Min Daily News. 

He added that the two had known each other for over six months and believed the dispute might have been related to a romantic relationship.

When Shin Min Daily News reporters visited the scene, no police officers were present. The helper from the second-floor unit declined to comment, noting her female employer was resting. 

Her male employer later confirmed that she was unharmed. 

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xingying.koh@asiaone.com