Singapore tribunal orders maid agency to pay S$1,558 over false Mandarin claim
What's new: The agency also owes about S$270 in costs after a judge found an unfair practice under consumer protection law.
A Singapore Small Claims Tribunals magistrate ordered a maid agency to compensate a bedridden elderly woman S$1,558 after finding it misrepresented a domestic worker's Mandarin ability. The woman's son had sought a helper who could speak Mandarin and care for a disabled elderly person because his mother, who has had a stroke and has Parkinson's disease, speaks mostly Mandarin and little English. The agency sent biodata listing "Mandarin" and a video of the Myanmar worker speaking the language. But when the helper started work on Dec. 11, 2024, the family found she could barely speak or understand Mandarin. After a failed week using Google Translate and training, the family returned her in January 2025. The court also awarded about S$270 in costs.