Two happy-ending love stories in Singapore may give hope to migrant workers who have felt the need to keep their romantic affairs secret for fear of losing their jobs and being sent back home.
Ellen Albarico, a 38-year-old Filipino domestic worker, recalled her trepidation back in 2013 when she revealed the romantic relationship she had kept secret from her employer for seven years. But her romance with Kyaw Thein Myint, now 42, a supervisor from Myanmar, had blossomed to the point where she could no longer keep it in the dark, the Shin Min Daily News reported, citing The Straits Times.
Although she had worked for her employer for 10 years, Albarico was not sure how the woman would react, as she had heard too many stories of compatriots being sent back to the Philippines because employers in general prefer “devoted” workers.
But to her relief, her employer was so happy and supportive that she helped the couple register their marriage in Singapore and even paid for their wedding dinner.
Another lucky couple are 38-year-old Indonesian domestic worker Ummai Ummairoh, who married her Malaysian lover Anson in 2012.
She had reckoned it a “one-in-a-million” chance that a Singaporean employer would allow such a marriage, but she and Anson beat the odds. Not only did her current employer approve, her boss actually attended the wedding – as did a previous employer.