The sisterhood – Mah Jie (妈姐)

The house was small with an open kitchen in the back, a communal toilet and a room with 4 wooden slats make-do beds, each one with a straw mat on top. Yin Jie was very kind and chatted to Mei for a while before she started getting dinner ready. There were four ladies sharing the communal house; Yin Jie, Jen Jie, Wu Jie and Fang Jie.

These ladies are the Mah Jie; a voluntary sisterhood of ladies from China who vow celibacy and work as domestic help in Singapore. They all wear a uniform of a white blouse buttoned to the neck, with black trousers. They do not trust in marriages hence initiated a ceremony to vow their celibacy by brushing and tying up their hair (自梳). Many of them heard about the misfortune of some married life; being bullied by their husbands, having to look after their husband’s families and abandoning their own.

About an hour later, Jen Jie finally returned. Mei and Jen were pleased to see each other. They chatted, shared tears and laughter. Jen invited Anna and Mei to stay in their communal house with the other Mah Jie until Mei could find a place. Although they were grateful for the accommodation, they did not have their own room and had to share a bed on the floor of the communal hall. Anna found it hard after the relative comfort of their own little house back in Penang, and she missed her papa immensely.