Woman killed while husband slashed by maid in Singapore

Ong Thiam Soon, 57, in his ward at Changi General Hospital, where he underwent surgery for multiple injuries on his neck, forehead and leg. THE STRAITS TIMES PHOTO: AW CHENG WEI

SINGAPORE — When his wife did not go into their room to watch television on Tuesday evening as usual, business owner Ong Thiam Soon, 57, went looking for her in their three-story house in Telok Kurau.

“I kept shouting her name but there was no response,” said Ong. From the first level, he continued his search for Seow Kim Choo, 59, on the second floor where he found a locked bathroom.

He said in Mandarin, “I was curious. There was no sound from inside so I went to find a torchlight and the keys.”

He saw a trail of blood when he opened the door and, before he knew it, his maid of five months (since February this year) allegedly attacked him with a fruit knife in each hand.

He said, “She slashed my neck. I was in shock.”

It was then that he noticed his wife’s motionless body on the bathroom floor.

He tried to restrain the 23-year-old maid, whom he called Wariwati, but she struggled hard.

He said, “When she finally calmed down, I went to my wife but she was no longer breathing. There was a lot of blood.”

Wariwati allegedly lunged at him again, and the two continued their tussle. He shouted for his daughter-in-law, who was taking care of his two grandchildren on the third floor.

Hearing the commotion, his other maid also rushed to the bathroom but ran away screaming. His daughter-in-law called the police before going to Ong’s aid.

They managed to subdue the maid and tied her hands.

Ong, with Wariwati in tow, ran out of the house, shouting for help. Three Malaysians, who were passing by, came to his aid.

Police said that they discovered a motionless 59-year-old woman on the second floor upon their arrival last night. At 9:03 p.m., paramedics pronounced her dead.

Ong was sent to Changi General Hospital where he underwent surgery for multiple injuries on his neck, forehead and leg. The Straits Times understands that Wariwati was injured and had been hospitalized too.

Speaking to reporters from his hospital bed, Ong said that Wariwati, who is allowed one phone call home every month, has been “agitated” for the past few days because she could not reach her family in Indonesia.

“We treat her very well and give her a lot of freedom,” he said, adding that he does not know what sparked her sudden violent behavior.

Asked about Seow, he teared up and said she was a good wife who helped him a lot with his business and took care of the family. Ong is due to be discharged on Wednesday.