SEVEN years ago, Acting Minister for Information, Communications and the Arts Lui Tuck Yew stopped having a maid at home because his children and other adults in his family were relying too much on her to pick up after them.

Having a maid also subverts the adult-child relationship, and this is not a healthy development, he said.

"When you have a domestic helper, there is a tendency for children to order the domestic help around. This subverts the adult-child relationship. When the child should be listening to the adult, it is the adult listening to the child."

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