SHE had only been working as a maid for a month when her employer started hurling abuse at her.

Over the next few months, Indonesian national Ismawati, 25, would end up being pinched, pulled, slapped and even touched on her private part.

Stricken with fear, she ran away and made a police report in April last year.

Her employer Mariamah Abdul Rahman, 39, was jailed 13 weeks on Thursday for assaulting and hurting her on a number of occasions between mid-December 2006 and April 2007.

The district court heard that sometime in late December 2006, Mariamah, who then worked as a teacher, was enraged when she saw Ms Ismawati pouring water away from a container.

She scolded her for wasting water before pulling her to another part of the kitchen.

Ms Ismawati apologised but it was not enough for Mariamah, who then pinched her on her arms, bruising her.

In April the following year, Mariamah pinched both her arms again and later touched her private part for not marinating some chicken the way she wanted it done.

The next day, Mariamah slapped Ms Ismawati several times for breaking the handle of a vacuum cleaner. She also used the broken handle to hit her left thigh, bruising it.

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