Nurasyikin Binte Mohamed Ismail is accused of concealing the birth of her child by secretly disposing the body in a riser on or before March 6.

Dressed in a black T-shirt and dark slacks, Nurasyikin, who is about 1.6 metres tall and has short-cropped hair, was calm as her charge was read out. She is unemployed.

On Friday morning, a technician checking utility meter readings outside a 12th-storey flat in Block 678D, Jurong West Street 64, detected a foul smell when he pried open the door of a riser sealed shut by masking tape.

Inside the riser was a green recycling bag.

He felt suspicious and later contacted the police at 2.45pm. This led to the discovery of the dead baby and the arrest of Nurasyikin.

Police said the age and gender of the baby have not been determined. Neighbours said that the big family living in the flat appeared to be close-knit.

In court on Saturday, Nurasyikin was seen searching the faces in the crowd but no members of her family seemed to have been present.

She will be remanded at the Institute of Mental Health for observation and will appear in court again on March 20.

If found guilty of disposing of a child who was stillborn or died during or after birth, Nurasyikin could be jailed up to two years and fined.