Volunteer interpreter who helped Parti Liyani shares behind-the-scenes look at historic case

SINGAPORE – An Indonesian woman who moved to Singapore volunteered as a befriender to domestic workers, and later bore witness to a historic court case.

With her fluency in Bahasa Indonesia, Gusti Seruni served as a volunteer interpreter for former domestic helper Parti Liyani’s legal team. Parti was acquitted in 2020 of stealing from her influential employers.

“It was one of the highlights of my life,” said Gusti, the 42-year-old sole proprietor of a jewellery business, referring to her more than four years of volunteering for the long-drawn legal battle. She spoke to the media at law charity Pro Bono SG’s annual awards ceremony on July 21.

Parti was initially convicted in 2019 of stealing more than $30,000 worth of items from the Liew family and was sentenced to two years and two months in jail.

The High Court overturned Parti’s conviction on appeal, ruling that the original conviction was unsafe and highlighting issues with the police’s handling of the evidence. The family’s patriarch, Liew Mun Leong, was chairman of Changi Airport Group and stepped down after the acquittal.

Gusti came to Singapore in 2017 when she married a Singaporean art curator. She first volunteered as a befriender for the Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) after hearing about its work involving domestic workers.

HOME later supported Parti in her legal case, and Gusti was roped in. Together with the legal team, she spent day and night working on the case, including interviewing Parti and lining up expert witnesses.

She had not yet registered her jewellery business and spent most of her time on Parti’s case – a commitment that was almost equivalent to a full-time job, she said.

Despite the challenges of navigating the legal system, she said: “I chose to power through because if it was difficult for me, it must have been way more difficult for (her).”

Gusti was a familiar presence to Parti as she accompanied her throughout the trial (there was a separate court interpreter present). They talked about food and family, “anything that would put her at ease” during breaks.

“(The trial) felt quite intimidating to me, so I can only imagine what it was like for her,” Gusti said.

But Parti kept her spirits up. The domestic helper even whipped up dishes and encouraged them whenever they were anxious, Gusti said.

The acquittal was “well-deserved”, said Gusti, but even after that, she was worried about the other legal processes Parti continued to face. Parti had filed a complaint against two prosecutors conducting her trial, which a disciplinary tribunal later dismissed.

Liew’s son, Karl Liew, was called as a prosecution witness during the trial. It later emerged that he lied to a district judge at the time.

He was sentenced to two weeks’ jail in April 2023 after pleading guilty.

After her acquittal, the domestic helper returned home in 2021. The case attracted significant public interest and led to a nine-hour parliamentary debate on the criminal justice system.

Looking back, Gusti said she was grateful that systemic change came about following Parti’s case.

“I believe that Parti, being part of a vulnerable community, deserves the same level of care, commitment and respect from us. Parti herself also deserves equal access to support and justice,” she said.

Gusti is now a Singapore permanent resident. She is also a regular volunteer with Pro Bono SG, where she helps Indonesian-speaking clients, including those involved in criminal cases.

On July 21, she received a special recognition volunteer award for her role in advancing pro bono work.

Correction note: This article has been updated as an earlier version incorrectly stated that the Malay word “dekat” has multiple meanings. It only means “near”. We are sorry for the error.