Stephanie Chok of HOME on migrant worker struggles and Parti Liyani’s fight for justice

Home also offers subsidised courses for personal and professional growth under its academy arm, conducts research, and participates in public dialogues. This advocacy work, particularly following Parti’s case, spotlights the challenges faced by migrant workers in Singapore. “Last year, Home released a report on criminal accusations made against domestic workers, a study prompted by Parti’s case. The research showed that up to 80 per cent of theft accusations against domestic workers do not result in criminal charges,” says Chok. The study also highlighted how employers are able to use the threat of calling the police to intimidate domestic workers and retaliate against them.

With theft accusations that happen in a household, “it’s often a ‘he says, she says’ situation,” continues Chok. “As domestic workers are generally treated with suspicion, there have been situations where if an employer believes their cash is missing and finds any cash on their domestic worker, [they’ll] file a police report even if they lack concrete evidence that the money was stolen.”

During police interviews, other problems surface, such as issues with interpreters. “Sometimes, interpreters offer what they believe to be well‐intentioned advice,” Chok allows, “but they can also exert pressure on migrant workers to plead guilty and give bad advice, leading to further complications during the investigation. [This] is a problem not only in situations of theft, but also in sexual or physical abuse cases.”

Furthermore, ongoing police investigations significantly impact the migrant workers’ lives, hindering their ability to work. “Parti wasn’t able to work for four years. It’s rare to encounter someone like her in the first place, as most would give up and plead guilty, whether or not they committed the crime. She’s an incredibly independent‐minded woman and was so aggrieved at [her former employers’ accusations] that she stuck to her guns,” recalls Chok. 

Chok criticises the discrimination against this group even in the wake of sympathetic cases like Parti’s—“We can see this in employer behaviours such as not wanting to give days off, keeping their phones from them, or threatening to call the police,” she expounds—and points out the binary representation of domestic workers, where they are either overly idealised for their loyalty or negatively stereotyped based on sensational stories. “In Singapore, there’s limited space within public discourse for domestic workers to develop any kind of complex human identity,” she says.

Addressing the broader issue of viewing domestic workers through a lens of strict control and social wariness, particularly through legislative discrimination that curtails their reproductive rights, Chok states: “It’s an offence for work permit holders to fall pregnant and give birth in Singapore. They’re also not allowed to marry Singaporeans or permanent residents without the authorities’ consent. They continue to be treated as a population that’s potentially socially dangerous and needs to be strictly controlled.”

On Home turning 20 this year, Chok says it is a milestone “to have lasted this long as an independent NGO in Singapore”. Last year, it started its #RestDayAllDay campaign, which advocates for 24‐hour rest days for domestic helpers. “It has taken years of campaigning and now, there’s one mandatory rest day a month that can’t be financially compensated,” she says. This, however, is inadequate. Chok argues for weekly mandatory rest days, with rest‐day hours better defined in law.

Home is also pushing for easier transfer rights for work pass holders, who currently need their employers’ consent to change jobs, which traps them in exploitative working conditions. “When migrant workers owe money, are dependent on their agent and employer, and can be sent home any time, they are often hesitant to file complaints and fear job loss ... In Singapore, we’re so dependent on a large pool of low‐wage workers that we have normalised exploitative working conditions. And there seems to be very little political and economic incentive to change this situation.”

Despite significant challenges, the collective efforts of volunteers and advocates such as Chok inspire optimism. “It’s the solidarity felt when working with like‐minded persons,” she says. “I feel embedded within a social justice‐oriented community. That can be very motivating.”

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