SINGAPORE, Nov 2 — Two siblings in Singapore were granted personal protection orders (PPO) from each other, while a partial domestic exclusion order (DEO) covering his bedroom was granted for the brother.

All because the woman would entered a room shared by her brother and sister at their parent's house late at night to clean it until the wee hours of the morning.

While this may not sound like a bad thing — her brother apparently suffered so much distress that he had to be admitted to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) a few times and even assaulted his sister on one occasion.

According to a judgment made available on October 31, the brother's complaint was that his sister repeatedly went into his bedroom to clean it, reported Mothership.

The man said his sister would enter his room sometime between 10pm or 11pm until 4am, which was corroborated by his other sister, who shared the room with him.

She said that their sister "choose the wrong timing to clean the room”, and that she would keep coming back every night, and would do so in the middle of the night and remain there until 3am or 6am.

When asked why she felt the need to go to their parents’ house at 10pm, the sister replied: "Because I need to work, my dear.”

She explained that she has to go according to her schedule and free time.

"I cannot say, you want me to come at 8am, means 8am. I’m not their maid, I’m not their worker.”

The other sister also explained that this issue has been ongoing for eight years, causing them distress and often having to rush back home just to lock their door to prevent the sister from entering.

The other sister meanwhile said she merely wanted to clean the room as her siblings did not do so.

"No, if the person does housework themselves, clean up their own room themselves, it’s fine.”

She claimed her siblings did not lift "one finger” to do so at the age of 40.

"They can even let lizards go into the cupboard and stay inside there and breed and let cockroach, um, lay eggs all these things.”

The judge noted that there was no evidence to show that the brother’s room was in a squalid state that it had to be cleaned frequently against his will.

Photos provided by the sister only showed at most a messy house, he said, adding that it was not a house in such a state that she had to clean the brother’s room in the wee hours of the night against his will.

The judge granted the sister’s PPO application against the brother in relation to an episode where tensions erupted over the cleaning and he assaulted her.

He also granted both the PPO and partial DEO to the brother.

The judge said the sole issue is whether the sister’s acts in repeatedly entering the brother’s room to clean it amounted to "continual harassment with intent to cause or knowing that it is likely to cause anguish to [the brother]”.

The judge noted that the woman was aware that the brother did not want her in his room but continued to do so, even finding other means of entry if the door was locked.

On why she was willing to stop going into the brother’s room given his discomfort, she replied that if he is uncomfortable, he can "stay out" as the unit belongs to their father.

"Because literally, he don’t upkeep his room and he’ll breed all the pest.”