In September, former foreign domestic worker Parti Liyani became a household name when she was acquitted of stealing from her wealthy and powerful employer.
She also became a symbol of perceived injustice in the way the less advantaged were treated in the legal system.
The case, which bore the hallmarks of a David and Goliath story, gained prominence as Singaporeans grappled with the question of whether a corporate bigwig held sway over how his maid was investigated and prosecuted.
It snowballed from a seemingly simple case of theft into a marathon nine-hour parliamentary debate last month about the fairness of the criminal justice system.
Jennifer Jett, The New York Times
Published: 18 Dec 2020 10:43 AM BdST
Updated: 18 Dec 2020 10:43 AM BdST The S11 Dormitory, home to migrant workers, in the Tuas area of Singapore. THE NEW YORK TIMES Workers from Bangladesh and India look out of their balconies at Punggol S-11 workers dormitory, which was gazetted to be an isolation facility after it became a cluster of coronavirus cases (COVID-19), in Singapore April 6, 2020. REUTERS
On most days, there are zero new coronavirus cases among migrant workers in Singapore, who bore the brunt of the city-state’s outbreak this year. But as the government prepares for its final phase of reopening this month, those workers will not be part of it.
December 18, 2020
Singapore is signaling to the world that it’s ready to get back to business, even if it means having to get creative with safe pandemic workarounds.
Later this month, the country will move to the final phase of reopening. There will again be larger social group gatherings, more people in malls and shops, and even live music performances and concerts, subject to safety measures.
Meanwhile, Singapore is scheduled to roll out a special travel bubble next month for business travelers, allowing certain visitors to forgo quarantine requirements and conduct in-person work meetings. And in May, Singapore will steal the crown from the Swiss alpine town of Davos to be the host of next May’s World Economic Forum.