By Lediati Tan

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» Man makes wife kneel and kowtow

THE petite woman with a slight hunch returned quietly to her flat yesterday afternoon, packed a bag and left as quietly as she came.

Looking pale and preoccupied as she unlocked the door to her flat, she was accompanied by a younger woman who identified herself as an officer from the Ministry of Community Development, Youth and Sports (MCYS).

The two left half an hour later with a small pink cloth bag in tow. Her husband and two children were nowhere to be seen.

Asked where they were, she replied in Mandarin: "What do you want? I'm troubled enough."

The woman leaving her flat (left). She was leaving with a woman who identified herself as an MCYS officer.

She had to turn her head to the right to listen to the questions with her left ear.

Her pair of broken spectacles was taped back with sticky tape.

She was later huddled into a waiting taxi with another unidentified woman in it.

The MCYS officer did not leave with them.

When contacted last evening, MCYS was unable to comment by press time.

Dr Carol Balhetchet, director of Youth Services at the Singapore Children's Society, said that there are many possibilities as to what could have happened.

MCYS could have read about this in the newspapers and wanted to take steps to help the family and to ensure the safety of the family members, she said.

MCYS could also have been informed by police, neighbours, the children's school or a concerned member of the public.

Dr Balhetchet added that based on newspaper articles, the woman did not seem like the type who would complain against her husband.

It was also likely that the children could have been moved to a relative's house.