NGO head decries it as "animal" attitude

CCTV captures assaults on Ms Piang Ngaih Don

Gaiyathiri, Prema sentenced

Family reacts, Yangon mourns Piang Ngaih Don

Neighbour recalls shouts, avoiding Gaiyathiri

Minister in 2021: Singapore "must do better"

Should foreign domestic workers "live out"?

Since Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s death in 2016, a slew of measures have been introduced to stem domestic worker abuse.

Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.

Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.

In 2016, the abuse and eventual death of a young Myanmar domestic worker led to shock and an outpouring of grief in Singapore.

Ms Piang Ngaih Don left her hometown in Chin State, Myanmar, to work for Gaiyathiri Murugayan and her then-husband and suspended police officer Kevin Chelvam in 2015.

The details and extent of her torture, at the hands of Gaiyathiri and her mother Prema S. Naraynasamy, brought about heightened checks and health screenings for domestic workers in Singapore. Yet activists say more can be done.

ST's Singapore journalist Jean Iau interviews and narrates this podcast.

Highlights (click/tap above):

4:23 "Their attitude is like animal attitude", says Mr Tin Maung Win who runs an NGO for migrant workers

6:35 Verbal abuse turns physical: CCTV footage captures the assaults on Ms Piang Ngaih Don over the last 35 days of her life

9:05 Chilling events the night before she died; Gaiyathiri and Prema now serving sentences

15:25 Reactions from Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s family; hundreds take to the streets in Yangon to mourn her

21:06 Revisiting the scene: A young neighbour recalls hearing shouting from Gaiyathiri's flat and avoiding her

22:48 In February 2021, then-Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said Singapore "must do better"; Manpower Ministry spells out some measures introduced since 2021

28:10 Should foreign domestic workers be given option to "live out", regardless of higher costs to employers? Ms Jaya Anil Kumar, senior research and advocacy manager at Human Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) believes so

Interviews & narration by: Jean Iau (jeaniau@sph.com.sg)

Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (ernest@sph.com.sg) and Tan Tam Mei (tammei@sph.com.sg)

Podcast Producers: Hadyu Rahim & Fa'izah Sani

Voiceovers: Leonie Teo, Vimalaraj Rajaratnam

Copy editor: Choo Li Meng

Audio clip of Ms Piang Ngaih Don's sister reproduced with permission from Al Jazeera (see full documentary - https://str.sg/iUQz)

Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast:

Channel: https://str.sg/i44T

Apple Podcasts: https://str.sg/i44q

Spotify: https://str.sg/i44c

SPH Awedio app: https://www.awedio.sg/

Website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

Feedback to: podcast@sph.com.sg

Read Jean Iau's articles: https://str.sg/iUAz

---

Discover more ST podcast channels:

All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: https://str.sg/wvz7

The Usual Place: https://str.sg/wEr7u

In Your Opinion: https://str.sg/w7Qt

COE Watch: https://str.sg/iTtE

Asian Insider: https://str.sg/JWa7

Health Check: https://str.sg/JWaN

Green Pulse: https://str.sg/JWaf

Your Money & Career: https://str.sg/wB2m

Hard Tackle: https://str.sg/JWRE

#PopVultures: https://str.sg/JWad

Music Lab: https://str.sg/w9TX

---

ST Podcast website: http://str.sg/stpodcasts

ST Podcasts YouTube: https://str.sg/4Vwsa

---

Special edition series:

True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): https://str.sg/i44T

The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuZ2

Invisible Asia (9 eps): https://str.sg/wuZn

Stop Scams (10 eps): https://str.sg/wuZB

Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): https://str.sg/wuJa

---

Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:

The App Store: https://str.sg/icyB

Google Play: https://str.sg/icyX

#truecrimes

Since Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s death in 2016, a slew of measures have been introduced to stem domestic worker abuse.
Synopsis (headphones recommended): A special edition 6-part series by The Straits Times in Singapore, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. Episodes drop every fourth Tuesday of the month from April 25, 2023.
Warning: This podcast is an audio documentary of a real crime case which may be troubling and upsetting to certain listeners. Listener discretion is advised.
In 2016, the abuse and eventual death of a young Myanmar domestic worker led to shock and an outpouring of grief in Singapore.
Ms Piang Ngaih Don left her hometown in Chin State, Myanmar, to work for Gaiyathiri Murugayan and her then-husband and suspended police officer Kevin Chelvam in 2015.
The details and extent of her torture, at the hands of Gaiyathiri and her mother Prema S. Naraynasamy, brought about heightened checks and health screenings for domestic workers in Singapore. Yet activists say more can be done.
ST's Singapore journalist Jean Iau interviews and narrates this podcast.
Highlights (click/tap above):
4:23 "Their attitude is like animal attitude", says Mr Tin Maung Win who runs an NGO for migrant workers
6:35 Verbal abuse turns physical: CCTV footage captures the assaults on Ms Piang Ngaih Don over the last 35 days of her life
9:05 Chilling events the night before she died; Gaiyathiri and Prema now serving sentences
15:25 Reactions from Ms Piang Ngaih Don’s family; hundreds take to the streets in Yangon to mourn her
21:06 Revisiting the scene: A young neighbour recalls hearing shouting from Gaiyathiri's flat and avoiding her
22:48 In February 2021, then-Manpower Minister Josephine Teo said Singapore "must do better"; Manpower Ministry spells out some measures introduced since 2021
28:10 Should foreign domestic workers be given option to "live out", regardless of higher costs to employers? Ms Jaya Anil Kumar, senior research and advocacy manager at Human Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) believes so
Interviews &amp; narration by: Jean Iau (<a href="mailto:jeaniau@sph.com.sg">jeaniau@sph.com.sg</a>)
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis (<a href="mailto:ernest@sph.com.sg">ernest@sph.com.sg</a>) and Tan Tam Mei (<a href="mailto:tammei@sph.com.sg">tammei@sph.com.sg</a>)
Podcast Producers: Hadyu Rahim &amp; Fa'izah Sani
Voiceovers: Leonie Teo, Vimalaraj Rajaratnam
Copy editor: Choo Li Meng
Audio clip of Ms Piang Ngaih Don's sister reproduced with permission from Al Jazeera (see full documentary - <a href="https://str.sg/iUQz">https://str.sg/iUQz</a>)
Follow ST’s True Crimes Of Asia Podcast: Channel: <a href="https://str.sg/i44T" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/i44T&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1684426916422000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1w2JqgQ6b8isa8Rq8ibTEB">https://str.sg/i44T</a> Apple Podcasts: <a href="https://str.sg/i44q" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/i44q&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1684426916422000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0ysGqAHlm38cCulfGRFen9">https://str.sg/i44q</a> Spotify: <a href="https://str.sg/i44c" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://str.sg/i44c&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1684426916422000&amp;usg=AOvVaw3jiUQCPfsC2tYZDmwAiD47">https://str.sg/i44c</a> SPH Awedio app: <a href="https://www.awedio.sg/" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=https://www.awedio.sg/&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1684426916422000&amp;usg=AOvVaw0A1wFA9A-GaMGZCjztCdG9">https://www.awedio.sg/</a> Website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts" data-saferedirecturl="https://www.google.com/url?q=http://str.sg/stpodcasts&amp;source=gmail&amp;ust=1684426916422000&amp;usg=AOvVaw1cslXd9JWb_9ut5RLY0dLj">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a> Feedback to: <a href="mailto:podcast@sph.com.sg">podcast@sph.com.sg</a> Read Jean Iau's articles: <a href="https://str.sg/iUAz">https://str.sg/iUAz</a>
---
Discover more ST podcast channels:
All-in-one ST Podcasts channel: <a href="https://str.sg/wvz7">https://str.sg/wvz7</a>
The Usual Place: <a href="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-stringify-link="https://str.sg/wEr7u" data-sk="tooltip_parent">https://str.sg/wEr7u</a>
In Your Opinion: <a href="https://str.sg/w7Qt">https://str.sg/w7Qt</a>
COE Watch: <a href="https://str.sg/iTtE">https://str.sg/iTtE</a>
Asian Insider: <a href="https://str.sg/JWa7">https://str.sg/JWa7</a>
Health Check: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaN">https://str.sg/JWaN</a>
Green Pulse: <a href="https://str.sg/JWaf">https://str.sg/JWaf</a>
Your Money &amp; Career: <a href="https://str.sg/wB2m">https://str.sg/wB2m</a>
Hard Tackle: <a href="https://str.sg/JWRE">https://str.sg/JWRE</a>
#PopVultures: <a href="https://str.sg/JWad">https://str.sg/JWad</a>
Music Lab: <a href="https://str.sg/w9TX">https://str.sg/w9TX</a>
---
ST Podcast website: <a href="http://str.sg/stpodcasts">http://str.sg/stpodcasts</a>
ST Podcasts YouTube: <a href="https://str.sg/4Vwsa">https://str.sg/4Vwsa</a>
---
Special edition series:
True Crimes Of Asia (6 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/i44T">https://str.sg/i44T</a>
The Unsolved Mysteries of South-east Asia (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZ2">https://str.sg/wuZ2</a>
Invisible Asia (9 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZn">https://str.sg/wuZn</a>
Stop Scams (10 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuZB">https://str.sg/wuZB</a>
Singapore's War On Covid (5 eps): <a href="https://str.sg/wuJa">https://str.sg/wuJa</a>
---
Get The Straits Times' app, which has a dedicated podcast player section:
The App Store: <a href="https://str.sg/icyB">https://str.sg/icyB</a>
Google Play: <a href="https://str.sg/icyX">https://str.sg/icyX</a>
#truecrimes

Synopsis: A 6-part series from April till September 2023, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. 

Executive Producers: Ernest Luis, Tan Tam Mei & The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

Synopsis: A 6-part series from April till September 2023, exploring recent real crimes that gripped, horrified and laid bare the issues that afflicted societies in Asia. 
Executive Producers: Ernest Luis, Tan Tam Mei &amp; The Straits Times, SPH Media Trust.

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