• Mallika Muniandy was upset that Pannirselvam R Rajoo owed her salary, and that he had employed someone else to do her job
• When confronted, Pannirselvam said there was nothing she could do about the unpaid salary
• He swung a penknife at her, but she disarmed him and used it against him instead
• The attack left Pannirselvam with an exposed windpipe

SINGAPORE — An argument over unpaid salary turned violent when an elderly man used a penknife to intimidate a Malaysian woman, whom he had illegally employed as a security officer at a warehouse in the Pioneer district.

However, Pannirselvam R Rajoo was disarmed by Mallika Muniandy, who grabbed the weapon and slashed the man’s neck with it, causing his windpipe to be exposed. She then fled to Malaysia, but was arrested when she tried to return to Singapore.

On Thursday (Oct 22), Mallika, now 33, pleaded guilty to one charge each of causing hurt with a weapon likely to cause death, and being a foreign employee without a valid work pass.

A single charge of committing a rash act was taken into consideration for Mallika’s sentencing.

She was sentenced to eight months’ jail and fined S$3,000 in a district court. The jail term was backdated to the day of her remand on Dec 6, 2019.

TODAY understands Mallika is set to be released from prison in the next few days, having already served the eight-month jail term.

THE CASE

According to court documents, Mallika was hired by Pannirselvam, a 73-year-old stateless Singapore permanent resident, to work as a security officer between May and July last year at a warehouse along Jalan Terusan.

During this period, Mallika was working without a valid work pass.

Her violent encounter with Pannirselvam happened on July 15 last year. Mallika complained about the outstanding salary that he owed her, along with the fact that Pannirselvam had hired another woman to do her job.

An argument broke out between them. The victim called Mallika a prostitute in Tamil and said there was nothing she could do if he chose not to pay her.

Mallika responded that he was being unfair to her as she had children to support back in Malaysia.

Pannirselvam grabbed Mallika by her shirt and repeatedly asked what could she do if he chose not to pay her.

The woman tried to break free by throwing a television screen at Pannirselvam’s head. It missed and the man refused to let go of her shirt.

Mallika finally broke free from his grasp when she grabbed hold of a wooden stick and hit him on the head and hand.

She then threw a television box at Pannirselvam, which led to him to pick up a penknife which he swung in Mallika’s direction with its blade extended.

However, he was disarmed by Mallika’s wooden stick.

Mallika retrieved the blade and turned it on Pannirselvam, slashing him multiple times on the neck and chest.

She then picked up her belongings and left for Malaysia on the same day, which prompted the police to issue a gazette seeking her whereabouts.

Meanwhile, Pannirselvam called his employer and said he was injured after someone had tried to rob him. A passerby called the police and an ambulance.

According to a medical report, Pannirselvam was left with a 5cm U-shaped laceration on his neck which was deep and exposed his windpipe. There were three smaller lacerations below this, as well as two superficial cuts on his chest.

The injuries left Pannirselvam hospitalised for three weeks.

Mallika was arrested on Dec 4 when she tried to enter Singapore at the Woodlands Checkpoint.

For causing hurt with a weapon likely to cause death, Mallika could have been jailed for up to seven years or fined, or both.

She could have also been jailed for up to two years or fined up to S$20,000, or both, for working without a valid work pass.

Pannirselvam is scheduled to appear in court on Nov 3 to face four charges — two of employing individuals without a valid work pass, and one count each of lying to the police and criminally intimidating Mallika.