Phone calls and e-mailed tip-offs about domestic maids suffering some kind of mistreatment - some with damning photographs attached - have been received, not from the victims themselves but from concerned members of the public.

Four agencies which run helplines have noticed that at least a third of these whistle-blowers are often not even known to the victim, but have seen her being hit, starved, denied rest or being put in harm's way in the course of work.

The Straits Times reported yesterday an instance of a maid who was made to tend to potted plants on a narrow ledge 10 floors above the ground. Her employer was fined $4,000 and banned from hiring another maid.

Last year, 24 foreign domestic workers were killed or injured on the job. The figure was down slightly from the average of 37 a year for the six years before that.

Those who report instances of mistreatment nowadays are forthcoming with details of the incidents - where and when these took place and also the telephone number of the victim if it is available.

Here is a sampling of the pictures of mistreated maids sent to Stomp each month. Desiree Pakiam reports WHERE: Block 310 Shun Fu Road, sixth floor ... more What you can do to help a mistreated maid IF YOU want to alert the authorities about a mistreated maid, helpline agencies say it is good if you can supply as much of the following as possible: The address at the maid's place of work; ... more

Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), an advocacy group for migrant workers, said four in 10 of its callers were members of the public.

Its president, Mr John Gee, said: 'The public is important to us in this effort to ensure the safety of these workers. They are the eyes on the ground and in places that we may not know about.'

The Philippine Embassy, which also runs a helpline, said six in 10 tip-offs it gets about the mistreatment of workers are from the public.

Labour attache Annabelle Oliveros said: 'Before, we used to receive phone calls mainly from Filipinas or other workers but today, more Singaporeans are aware and see maids as workers who are contributing and need protection.'

Stomp, the interactive portal of The Straits Times, has also been receiving three to four digital pictures a month.

Ms Latifah, a 32-year-old Indonesian who volunteers at TWC2's helpline on her day off, said: 'I am happy that we are all helping one another, as there are many who do not know where to go. We can be their voice.'

The higher level of public awareness of the issue has been fuelled by advancements in technology.

Media researcher Tan Tarn How of the Institute of Policy Studies said that the latest in mobile phones, easy access to uploading images and the helplines available have all made it that much easier to file reports with agencies that can help.

Although this is a positive development if it means wrongdoing can be addressed, he added that 'it may not always be so clear when we are actually intruding into the privacy of the person and when it is okay to highlight some wrongdoing'.

Engineer Clement Lim, 39, who reported a case of a maid cleaning windows in a high-rise home, said it was a balancing act between preventing a death and protecting the employer's privacy.

'I could be more pro-active, I suppose, and knock on the door to advise the employer. But that is not what I think I can do.

'This was my way of saving a life. What if she falls the next time?'

braema@sph.com.sg