A maid who wanted to work for another household deliberately dipped the hand of her employer's 16-month-old baby girl into a pot of hot water after learning she would have to incur costs for a transfer.

The 30-year-old Myanmar national, who cannot be named to protect the girl's identity, was yesterday sentenced to 14 months' jail after pleading guilty to one count of using a heated substance to voluntarily cause hurt.

The maid started working for the family on Dec 8 last year.

Her job scope included housekeeping and cooking, as well as taking care of the baby and her eight-year-old sister. After two weeks, the maid decided she wanted to work elsewhere as she did not know how to care for the baby.

She approached her agency, but when she learnt that she had to pay for a transfer, she continued working for the family. Court documents did not state the costs involved.

The maid was cooking chicken curry on Jan 14 this year at the family flat near Hougang when the baby started crying at around 5.15pm. She carried the baby in her arms and continued cooking.

Deputy Public Prosecutor Jane Lim said: "While the accused was carrying the victim, she felt agitated and moved the victim's left hand towards the pot containing hot water, which was on a stove that was turned on, causing the victim's left hand to come into contact with the pot and hot water two to three times, with the knowledge that she was likely to cause hurt to the victim."

A closed-circuit television (CCTV) camera in the flat captured the maid committing the offence.

The victim's sister stepped out of the bathroom when she heard the baby cry, but the maid claimed the child had placed her hand inside the pot.

The older girl phoned their father, who advised her to apply some aloe vera and toothpaste on the burn.

He returned home at around 6.40pm and took the baby to a clinic after seeing the extent of her injuries. The child was then referred to KK Women's and Children's Hospital, where she was diagnosed with second-degree burns on her left hand.

The Myanmar national initially lied to the girls' parents when they questioned her, claiming that the baby had accidentally touched the pot on the stove.

But the father became suspicious the next day when the maid said that she wanted to stop working for the household.

He viewed the CCTV clip with his wife and saw the maid committing the offence.

The girls' mother then alerted the police at around 11am on Jan 15.