"I never believed I was guilty": An Indonesian domestic worker's fight to clear her name
September 2020
Parti Liyani, an Indonesian domestic worker, was accused of stealing S$50,000 of items from her employers in 2016, an accusation that emerged after she was suddenly fired after nine years of employment. Parti maintained her innocence and chose to claim trial. Almost four years, a State Court trial, and High Court appeal later, Parti has been acquitted. The following is an account of her protracted journey to clear her name.
Parti’s employment with the Liew family
Parti Liyani worked for the Liew family for nine years, from 2007 to 2016. While Mr Liew Mun Leong was listed as her employer, Parti was mostly liaising with Mrs Liew (or Mdm Ng, Liew Mun Leong’s wife), the matriarch of the household. During the nine years Parti worked for the Liews, there were periods where family members shifted in and out: Karl Liew (Liew’s son), Heather Lim (Karl’s wife), May Liew (Liew’s daughter), and June Liew (Liew’s daughter). Karl and Heather also got married and had children while Parti was employed. Mr Liew is the current chairman of the Changi Airport Group and the former CEO of Capitaland.
Parti’s Termination & The Three Packing Boxes
On 28 October 2016, Karl Liew arrived at the house with two men, employment agents, and informed Parti she was fired. Karl told Parti she had two hours to pack her things and leave the house. Parti was in shock, and testified in Court that she pleaded with Karl not to be sent home, but he was resolute.
After working for the Liews for nine years—and in Singapore for almost 20 years—Parti had many items to pack, and Mrs Liew agreed for one of the Liew’s drivers, Ismail, to collect three packing boxes for her. Ismail returned with the three boxes and assembled them, along with Robin (Mr Liew’s other driver). Robin and Ismail then proceed to assist Parti by filling up the boxes with items that had been strewn outside her small room. Parti was busy packing her luggage and hand carry: Parti asked Mrs Liew if she wanted to check the contents of her luggage, but Mrs Liew declined.
Parti also gave Karl a black trash bag filled with clothes that Karl had given (months earlier) to his previous domestic worker, Jane. When Jane left Singapore sometime in September or October 2016, she did not want to take these used clothes—which comprised office shirts, T-shirts, pants, suit jackets and trousers —with her, and had passed the bag to Parti. In Court, both Karl and Parti testified that this black trash bag of Karl’s used clothes was left by a pillar near the three boxes.
Parti then left with the employment agents. While she took her luggage and hand carry, the three boxes remained in the house: Karl had promised to send them back to Indonesia for her. Parti was sent to the airport and repatriated. The boxes remained at the Liew residence and were never sent to Parti.
Parti’s Return & Arrest
Parti returned to Surabaya, Indonesia, and waited for the employment agent to contact her. After about five weeks with no news, Parti decided to return to Singapore and flew back on a social visit (tourist) pass to find new work.
When Parti arrived at Changi Airport on 2 December 2016, she was arrested and taken to Tanglin police station. She was informed that her employer, Liew Mun Leong, had filed a police report against her on 30 October 2016, alleging she had stolen items from him.
The Liew family’s version of what happened after Parti left the house on 28 October 2016 emerged during the course of the trial. The day after Parti left for Indonesia, on 29 October 2016, Mrs Liew, Karl, and Heather (Karl’s wife) decided to open the three boxes. In Court, Karl mentioned his mother allegedly spotted Parti packing an item identified as Japanese “thermal wear” that possibly belonged to Mr Liew, and therefore wanted to open the boxes. Heather mentioned checking for “illegal” items, like “drugs” or “explosives”. Karl then alleged that when they opened the boxes, they found items inside that belonged to them. He and his father, Mr Liew, then filed a police report on 30 October 2016. In the police report, Mr Liew alleged that Parti had stolen a range of items which allegedly belonged to their Liew family.
Assistant Superintendent (ASP) Tang Ru Long testified in Court that upon receiving the police report on 30 Oct 2016, he put up a police gazette to issue a Warrant of Arrest for Parti Liyani. Five weeks later, Parti, who had no idea these allegations were filed against her, flew back to Singapore in order to try and seek new employment, and was arrested upon her arrival.
Claiming Trial: The Charges & The Case for the Defence
In August 2017, about nine months after her arrest, Parti had 4 charges levelled against her. She was accused of having stolen items from Liew Mun Leong, Karl Liew, Heather Lim, and Liew’s daughter, Liew Cheng May. In total, Parti was accused of stealing approximately 144 items valued at around S$50,000. These items included, among others:
120 pieces of clothing valued at S$150 each (total $18,000);
One blanket valued at S$500;
One Pioneer DVD player valued at S$1,000;
One “damaged” Gerald Genta watch, with broken strap, valued at S$25,000;
An assortment of kitchenware and utensils valued at S$300;
An assortment of fashion accessories valued at S$400;
Two white iPhone 4s with accessories valued at S$2,056.
Photographs of some of the items listed above, which were taken by the Defence, can be found below.