A 23-year-old Indonesian maid from Lampung, Sumatra, was charged yesterday with murdering her female employer - Madam Seow Kim Choo, 59 - on Tuesday night.

Daryati, who goes by one name, allegedly committed the crime between 8.30pm and 8.45pm at her employer's three-storey semi- detached house at Lorong H Telok Kurau.

The charge was read out to the maid via video link to Changi General Hospital (CGH), where she was admitted on Tuesday night with injuries to her head and hands.

District Judge Adam Nakhoda granted the police prosecutor's request for her to be remanded at Changi Women's Prison for psychiatric assessment, upon her discharge from hospital.

The maid had been working for Madam Seow for about two months.

Madam Seow's body was found motionless by her husband, businessman Ong Thiam Soon, 57, in a bathroom in the house.

Paramedics later pronounced Madam Seow dead.

Mr Ong was admitted to CGH with injuries to his neck, forehead and leg.

The Indonesian embassy here has appointed lawyer Mohamed Muzammil Mohamed to represent Daryati.

The case will be mentioned again in three weeks, on June 29.

If convicted of the charge of murder with intention, Daryati faces the mandatory death penalty.

Amir Hussain