"A maid sells her services, she does not sell her person. An employer should not exploit his maid's dependence on him for food and lodging, for these are basic rights," the city-state's Chief Justice Yong Pung How said.

The 140,000 foreign maids working here, mostly from Indonesia and the Philippines, are protected by the law, he said in a written judgement.

"A maid's abased social status does not mean that she is any less of a human being and any less protected by the law," said Yong.

Most Singaporeans meet the income criteria set by the government to hire foreign maids but this does not mean they can abuse their maids, he said.

Earlier this month Yong increased a housewife's jail sentence from three months to nine months for beating her maid with slippers and a broom handle.

"Singaporeans should not take this situation for granted, for the luxury of having foreign help depends greatly on the good relations with neighbouring states," he said.

The minimum salary requirement to employ a maid in Singapore is S$30,000 (US$16,483) a year.

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