Celebrating 10 years of supporting migrant domestic workers so that they can better deter and detect crime in the community and become advocates for crime prevention.
By: Domnic Dass
On 19 November 2023, Bedok Police Division marked the 10th anniversary of the Domestic Guardians programme with a commemorative event at the SingPost Centre. Launched in 2013, this unique community engagement initiative provides training to Migrant Domestic Workers (MDWs) in crime prevention, empowering them to safeguard themselves and their communities.
Launched in September 2013 as the M-Aid Programme by Bedok Police Division, the initiative provided training to a pioneering group of 58 MDWs. Having seen steady growth over the years, the programme was expanded in 2018 to involve public agencies such as the Ministry of Manpower and the National Environment Agency, as well as non-governmental organisations such as the Centre of Domestic Employees, Aidha and the Foreign Domestic Worker Association for Social Support and Training. This collaborative approach was especially important during the COVID-19 pandemic when officers continued to reach out to MDWs through webinars and online sessions.
Having provided training to over 300 MDWs, the Domestic Guardians programme is now set to expand beyond eastern Singapore. “Over the past decade, the Domestic Guardians have helped keep neighbourhoods in the east of Singapore safer and more secure,” said Assistant Commissioner of Police Justin Wong, Commander of Bedok Police Division. “With the island-wide expansion of the scheme, we’ll be able to spread crime prevention knowledge among more people in our domestic worker community.”
Working Together with MDWs
Among the officers helping to foster stronger ties with MDWs is Station Inspector (SI) Jamal Khairi Bin Abdul Majid, a liaison officer for the Domestic Guardians programme. “I first became involved in the initiative in 2019,” he recalled. “That was when I joined Bedok Police Division as a Community Policing Unit officer.”
SI Jamal and his team help prevent MDWs from becoming victims of crime by raising crime prevention education within their communities. “By liaising with groups like the Indonesian Family Network Singapore (IFN), we can better disseminate anti-crime advisories and also encourage their members to participate in our workshops and sessions,” he explained.
Among the enthusiastic supporters of the Domestic Guardians is Mdm Sampen “Sammi” Mulyawikarta, an Indonesian citizen who has worked in Singapore for over 15 years. Having learning about the programme from her fellow MDWs, SI Jamal was invited to share anti-crime advisories with the IFN community via a Facebook Live session, then became a Domestic Guardians ambassador in January 2023.
“I recognise the programme’s value in safeguarding us from crimes such as scams,” she shared. “It has also helped us to expand our knowledge of matters involving MDWs and learn vital skills like first aid, which is very helpful for those involved in domestic work.”
As a Domestic Guardians ambassador, Mdm Sammi was able to help a fellow MDW avoid falling victim to scammers. “She’d unknowingly received a large amount of money and consulted me about this,” recalled Mdm Sammi. “I immediately recalled what I’d learnt about scams involving moneylenders, so I advised her to go directly to the bank and refrain from touching the money. Soon after this, the Police were able to help her resolve the matter.”
Such experiences have shown Mdm Sammi the need to work with the Police to fight crime in the community and become advocates for crime prevention. “We shouldn’t feel that we have to handle such matters by ourselves,” she said. “That’s why I urge my fellow MDWs to join the Domestic Guardians!”
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