The following article was published in TODAY on 31 July 2008.
Caught in web of deceit
By Neo Chai Chin
TODAY, Thursday, July 31, 2008
THEY came to Singapore last November with high hopes of getting a food and beverage diploma, then working in the hospitality industry.
But eight months later, with their student passes cancelled after being caught working illegally at a hotel, Sri Lanka national Sampath and Nepali Bikram could get sent home empty-handed — all because of rogue agents here and back home.
Both are here on a Special Pass issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority that requires renewal every week. They have also sought the Consumers Association of Singapore’s (Case) help to get $4,400 in course fees back from their institution, Columbia Business School — not to be confused with the prestigious New York school of the same name — but have not succeeded so far.
Their plight is something an increasing number of students from Sri Lanka, India and Nepal face, said a local homestay agent who has come across more than 60 such cases in the last two years. The homestay agent arranges for accommodation for students and declined to be named for fear of offending the school.
Reports bear his encounters out. Last month, TODAY reported how student agent Benedict Yeo Tian Ming (who recruited students for Columbia) was fined $87,000 for abetting the illegal employment of 42 foreign students. And according to the Sri Lankan embassy, in another media report in April, at least 40 Sri Lankans looking for work or education had been cheated this year.
Meeting up with TODAY recently, Sampath, 25, and Bikram, 21 (who did not want to reveal their full names for fear of retribution when they return home) produced brochures that were given to them, promising 8 hours’ work for $700 a month while they attended three hours of classes each day.
For the latter six months of their year-long diploma course, they would receive $1,000 each month for “full time job training”.
After arriving in Singapore, both students were told to study English for two months. They also claimed, they were also told to go to a student recruitment agency to look for Benedict Yeo, and to an employment agency called APIM to fill up job forms.
Both men began food and beverage classes at Columbia soon after – but lessons were held only twice a week, with 60 students pursuing different diplomas all in the same classroom, said Sampath. Even so, they had to go to school daily to take attendance.
In March, APIM secured jobs for Sampath, Bikram and four other students from Vietnam and Nepal at a hotel on Scotts Road. They worked as kitchen cleaners until May 23, when they were caught by Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officials.
The next day, they said, Columbia cancelled their student passes.
When contacted, MOM said it is investigating four parties for possible breaches of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act – the school, the agency that arranged the students’ attachment with a cleaning company, the cleaning company, and the students.
“Foreign students undergoing any form of industrial attachment must apply for a relevant training pass. They are not allowed to work here without a valid work pass. This responsibility is clearly made known to foreign students when they submit their student pass applications,” said a ministry spokesperson.
TODAY attempted to contact Columbia’s principal on the phone and by email, but did not receive a response.
Further checks revealed other questionable claims in the brochures. In one, Columbia claimed it awarded City and Guilds Certificates in Food and Beverage Operations – but a check with City and Guilds, a United Kingdom-based vocational education provider, showed that Columbia is not one of its approved centres.
The students, meanwhile, are awaiting their fate. “I don’t know what will happen now. My parents in Nepal don’t know what to do either,” said Bikram, who paid $8,000 in course and agent fees in total.
Sampath, who wants a refund of his $4,400 in order to enrol in another school, said: “The same agent back in Sri Lanka who told us these lies is still bringing more students here.”
A check with Case revealed that there have been four complaints this year against Columbia, and 657 complaints regarding the education sector so far this year.
CaseTrust-accredited schools, of which Columbia is one, face warning, suspensions and/or expulsion from the scheme if they are found to have breached its code of practice, said executive director Seah Seng Choon.
Thursday, July 31, 2008
Wednesday, July 30, 2008
Bangladeshi Worker Dies in Workplace Accident
The following article appeared in the New Paper on 29 July 2008.
SCAFFOLDING FALLS ON HIM
By Celine Lim
29 July 2008
The New Paper
He suffers head injuries and dies in hospital one week later
HE was instructed to tile the floor of the Clementi bus interchange.
But a mobile metal scaffolding unit on wheels was blocking his work area.
So construction worker Mr Chen Sheng Fang, 34, tried to push the 3m-high structure away.
It ended up toppling towards two of his colleagues - who were seated on the floor a few metres away.
Thai national Mr Haseesuk Ritthikrai, 28, managed to scramble to safety.
But Bangladeshi Mr Shafiqul Samad Niah was not so lucky - the 33-year-old was hit on the head and eventually died in hospital.
The accident happened at 8.30am on 28 Mar 2006.
The scaffolding was supplied by Yew Huat Scaffolding Work to Hon Industries, which was constructing the temporary bus interchange in Commonwealth Avenue West.
Yew Huat Scaffolding Work was fined $4,000 in April this year while Hon Industries was fined $3,000 in October 2007 for violating the Workplace Safety and Health Regulations.
No foul play was suspected.
Mr Shafiqul was having his breakfast when the scaffolding toppled.
He was unable to run away in time.
The impact from the scaffolding left a visible 2cm puncture wound on his head, the court heard.
VOMITED
Mr Shafiqul then vomited before drifting in and out of consciousness.
An ambulance took him to the National University Hospital.
An urgent CT scan showed a 'very swollen brain' which was bruised on the left frontal portion and had blood clotting in the rear section.
Doctors operated on Mr Shafiqul, inserting a pressure monitor into his head and stitching up his lacerated scalp.
He was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, but he remained unconscious for about a week before dying on 4 Apr 2006 at about 2am.
The cause of death was a lung infection due to complications from his head injuries.
The autopsy report by Dr Cheng Chee Leong, a medical officer at the Centre of Forensic Medicine, showed that Mr Shafiqul suffered cuts and abrasions on his head and neck.
The worker's skull had been spilt open and was fractured on the top, back and left sides, causing cuts and bruising to his brain.
Dr Cheng noted that Mr Shafiqul's injuries were 'consistent with that sustained when a heavy object like a detachable scaffolding' hit his head.
The mobile scaffolding was used for carrying out tiling work on the roof of the bus interchange.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) carried out an investigation into the accident and found that the four wheels on which the scaffolding stood had not been properly attached to the frame.
NOT SECURED
Factory Inspector Chua Lay Leng discovered that the 'castors' or wheels of the scaffolding were 'only slotted into' instead of being 'secured or fixed to the scaffold frames to prevent accidental dislodgement'.
It was not known how heavy the mobile scaffolding was.
State Coroner Miranda Yeo noted that following the MOM investigation, it could not be established how exactly the scaffolding had toppled.
She said it was not clear who had secured the wheels to the scaffolding or how they came to be dislodged.
She recorded an open verdict into Mr Shafiqul's death.
Copyright 2008, Singapore Press Holdings Limited
SCAFFOLDING FALLS ON HIM
By Celine Lim
29 July 2008
The New Paper
He suffers head injuries and dies in hospital one week later
HE was instructed to tile the floor of the Clementi bus interchange.
But a mobile metal scaffolding unit on wheels was blocking his work area.
So construction worker Mr Chen Sheng Fang, 34, tried to push the 3m-high structure away.
It ended up toppling towards two of his colleagues - who were seated on the floor a few metres away.
Thai national Mr Haseesuk Ritthikrai, 28, managed to scramble to safety.
But Bangladeshi Mr Shafiqul Samad Niah was not so lucky - the 33-year-old was hit on the head and eventually died in hospital.
The accident happened at 8.30am on 28 Mar 2006.
The scaffolding was supplied by Yew Huat Scaffolding Work to Hon Industries, which was constructing the temporary bus interchange in Commonwealth Avenue West.
Yew Huat Scaffolding Work was fined $4,000 in April this year while Hon Industries was fined $3,000 in October 2007 for violating the Workplace Safety and Health Regulations.
No foul play was suspected.
Mr Shafiqul was having his breakfast when the scaffolding toppled.
He was unable to run away in time.
The impact from the scaffolding left a visible 2cm puncture wound on his head, the court heard.
VOMITED
Mr Shafiqul then vomited before drifting in and out of consciousness.
An ambulance took him to the National University Hospital.
An urgent CT scan showed a 'very swollen brain' which was bruised on the left frontal portion and had blood clotting in the rear section.
Doctors operated on Mr Shafiqul, inserting a pressure monitor into his head and stitching up his lacerated scalp.
He was then transferred to the Intensive Care Unit, but he remained unconscious for about a week before dying on 4 Apr 2006 at about 2am.
The cause of death was a lung infection due to complications from his head injuries.
The autopsy report by Dr Cheng Chee Leong, a medical officer at the Centre of Forensic Medicine, showed that Mr Shafiqul suffered cuts and abrasions on his head and neck.
The worker's skull had been spilt open and was fractured on the top, back and left sides, causing cuts and bruising to his brain.
Dr Cheng noted that Mr Shafiqul's injuries were 'consistent with that sustained when a heavy object like a detachable scaffolding' hit his head.
The mobile scaffolding was used for carrying out tiling work on the roof of the bus interchange.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) carried out an investigation into the accident and found that the four wheels on which the scaffolding stood had not been properly attached to the frame.
NOT SECURED
Factory Inspector Chua Lay Leng discovered that the 'castors' or wheels of the scaffolding were 'only slotted into' instead of being 'secured or fixed to the scaffold frames to prevent accidental dislodgement'.
It was not known how heavy the mobile scaffolding was.
State Coroner Miranda Yeo noted that following the MOM investigation, it could not be established how exactly the scaffolding had toppled.
She said it was not clear who had secured the wheels to the scaffolding or how they came to be dislodged.
She recorded an open verdict into Mr Shafiqul's death.
Copyright 2008, Singapore Press Holdings Limited
Tuesday, July 29, 2008
Limbs lost at work: Bid to reduce mishaps
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 29 July 2008.
Limbs lost at work: Bid to reduce mishaps
By JERMYN CHOW
The Straits Times
29/07/2008
A worker loses his hand or fingers every three days, safety forum is told
EVERY three days, a worker in Singapore loses his hand or fingers.
The startling statistic, based on the first six months of the year, came to light yesterday at a forum on protecting workers' limbs at the workplace.
Such accidents typically happen when hands or fingers become caught between roller cutters of meat-slicing machines or presses that have enough force to mould metal.
In greatest peril, therefore, are those who work in manufacturing, metal-working and food processing.
Calling for more to be done to protect workers, Professor Low Teck Seng, who chairs the metal-working and manufacturing committee in the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC), said his target is to cut the number of workers losing their limbs down to about 90 a year by the end of next year.
The figure was 90 in 2005. A year later, the number spiked to 168, before dipping to 163 last year.
If such accidents could be eliminated, "all the better", Prof Low told the audience at the forum, which comprised about 400 managers and supervisors from the manufacturing and metal-working industries, along with safety engineers.
Former shipyard supervisor James Goh, 61, is an example of someone who has to live with the consequences of a slip or a moment's inattentiveness: He lost his right arm to a metal-cutting machine in 2003.
He said: "There are a lot of things that I cannot do by myself like putting on my trousers and eating...I will always need someone to help me."
Aside from the worker's physical and emotional pain and possible loss of income, businesses also chalk up losses in man-days.
Last year, hand-related accidents resulted in the loss of 17,000 man-days.
While some accidents happen because companies fail to enforce safe work procedures, the majority happen because safety guards have fallen off, or worse, have been removed, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers have found.
Mr Winston Yew, the senior assistant director in the ministry's occupational safety and health inspectorate, said: "It's not rocket science but some companies just do not adhere to these simple safety precautions."
A new Code of Practice on the safe use of machinery was unveiled yesterday to safeguard the 570,000 workers in the manufacturing sector.
The ministry has banded together with the WSHC to run seminars on workplace safety. Spot checks on high-risk workplaces are also conducted, and fines meted out wherever safety and workplace health standards fall short.
An MOM spokesman said enforcement officers will carry out an islandwide safety blitz on manufacturing and metal-working companies in about three months.
Limbs lost at work: Bid to reduce mishaps
By JERMYN CHOW
The Straits Times
29/07/2008
A worker loses his hand or fingers every three days, safety forum is told
EVERY three days, a worker in Singapore loses his hand or fingers.
The startling statistic, based on the first six months of the year, came to light yesterday at a forum on protecting workers' limbs at the workplace.
Such accidents typically happen when hands or fingers become caught between roller cutters of meat-slicing machines or presses that have enough force to mould metal.
In greatest peril, therefore, are those who work in manufacturing, metal-working and food processing.
Calling for more to be done to protect workers, Professor Low Teck Seng, who chairs the metal-working and manufacturing committee in the Workplace Safety and Health Council (WSHC), said his target is to cut the number of workers losing their limbs down to about 90 a year by the end of next year.
The figure was 90 in 2005. A year later, the number spiked to 168, before dipping to 163 last year.
If such accidents could be eliminated, "all the better", Prof Low told the audience at the forum, which comprised about 400 managers and supervisors from the manufacturing and metal-working industries, along with safety engineers.
Former shipyard supervisor James Goh, 61, is an example of someone who has to live with the consequences of a slip or a moment's inattentiveness: He lost his right arm to a metal-cutting machine in 2003.
He said: "There are a lot of things that I cannot do by myself like putting on my trousers and eating...I will always need someone to help me."
Aside from the worker's physical and emotional pain and possible loss of income, businesses also chalk up losses in man-days.
Last year, hand-related accidents resulted in the loss of 17,000 man-days.
While some accidents happen because companies fail to enforce safe work procedures, the majority happen because safety guards have fallen off, or worse, have been removed, Ministry of Manpower (MOM) officers have found.
Mr Winston Yew, the senior assistant director in the ministry's occupational safety and health inspectorate, said: "It's not rocket science but some companies just do not adhere to these simple safety precautions."
A new Code of Practice on the safe use of machinery was unveiled yesterday to safeguard the 570,000 workers in the manufacturing sector.
The ministry has banded together with the WSHC to run seminars on workplace safety. Spot checks on high-risk workplaces are also conducted, and fines meted out wherever safety and workplace health standards fall short.
An MOM spokesman said enforcement officers will carry out an islandwide safety blitz on manufacturing and metal-working companies in about three months.
Saturday, July 12, 2008
5 children - and it's great
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 12 July 2008.
5 children - and it's great
Clarissa Oon, Political Correspondent
Straits Times,12 July 2008
HER three primary school-going children wanted a baby sister, and despite approaching 40, Mrs Jilyn Tan thought: 'Why not?'
'I gave myself two or three months. I thought, if I don't conceive, that's it, the factory's closed,' recalls the primary school teacher, now 45.
She and her event organiser husband Peter, 50, went on to have not one but two more children, rounding off their brood of five.
Their youngest child Praiselyn was an accident, but as committed Christians, the Tans told themselves: 'Some families can't conceive and here we are with a fifth, so we better be thankful.'
For all five, the petite Mrs Tan had insisted on giving birth the natural way - no pain-numbing epidural or caesarean delivery for her - and breastfed them until they were toddlers.
Today, their firstborn Phil, a polytechnic student aged 18, is old enough to drive the family car and ferry his parents and younger siblings around.
Pelyn, 16, and Perry, 14, are in secondary school, while the baby of the family, Praiselyn, is a hyperactive four-year-old. Seven-year-old Paul attends Northland Primary where his mother teaches, just a minute's walk from their HDB home in Yishun.
Mrs Tan says she planned it that way because 'with so many kids, I have to keep family activities close to home, otherwise I would go crazy driving them all over Singapore'.
There are only 9 per cent of married women like Mrs Tan in Singapore, with five or more children, according to the General Household Survey of 2005.
Bringing up a brood of five is not without financial headaches and she confesses that they have had to watch every cent.
Their most stressful period was when Sars struck in 2003 and Mr Tan's business here was affected. He now works in Malaysia and returns home on weekends.
To save money, the couple downgraded from a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle to a smaller Nissan Sunny.
Mrs Tan made a career switch as well, from human resource consulting to teaching as it promised a more steady income.
The family also had to forgo luxuries like long-distance travel in favour of short breaks in Malaysia and Indonesia. And the older children had to give up music lessons and other costly enrichment classes.
'We chose to look at it positively. Even if the children should be deprived of anything while growing up, they can be compensated in adult life when they start working,' she says.
Regret is the furthest thing from her mind. 'The pleasures of seeing them grow up - you can't put a price to that.'
In fact, the three older children have matured faster because of their family circumstances, working during the school holidays for extra pocket money and taking turns to mind their younger siblings.
One thing the Tans have not cut back on is a live-in foreign maid, who helps with household chores in their jumbo HDB flat.
If anything causes her a twinge of unhappiness, it is that her children were born too early to qualify for the Government's Baby Bonus payouts.
When the bonus was introduced in 2001, it applied only to the second ($3,000) and third ($6,000) child, so her fourth child Paul did not qualify even though he was born that year.
The cash bonus was expanded to cover the first ($3,000) and fourth child ($6,000) in 2004, a year after her fifth was born.
The scheme also has the Government matching dollar-for-dollar a savings fund for the second, third and fourth child, capped at a maximum of $12,000. This child development fund would have meant substantial savings for the Tans.
'I wish the policy could be changed so that with every child you are entitled to something - not just up to kid No. 4.
'And why not backdate it so that mothers like me who conceived four or more ahead of the policy can still be rewarded?' she suggests.
Also on her wish list: parents to be able to use as much of their Medisave as they want to pay for hospital delivery. Now, there are limits and the amount depends on the delivery procedure and length of hospital stay.
'After all, Medisave is our hard-earned money. I know the Government wants us to be prepared for retirement, but I think they should let us cope with childbirth first,' she says.
5 children - and it's great
Clarissa Oon, Political Correspondent
Straits Times,12 July 2008
HER three primary school-going children wanted a baby sister, and despite approaching 40, Mrs Jilyn Tan thought: 'Why not?'
'I gave myself two or three months. I thought, if I don't conceive, that's it, the factory's closed,' recalls the primary school teacher, now 45.
She and her event organiser husband Peter, 50, went on to have not one but two more children, rounding off their brood of five.
Their youngest child Praiselyn was an accident, but as committed Christians, the Tans told themselves: 'Some families can't conceive and here we are with a fifth, so we better be thankful.'
For all five, the petite Mrs Tan had insisted on giving birth the natural way - no pain-numbing epidural or caesarean delivery for her - and breastfed them until they were toddlers.
Today, their firstborn Phil, a polytechnic student aged 18, is old enough to drive the family car and ferry his parents and younger siblings around.
Pelyn, 16, and Perry, 14, are in secondary school, while the baby of the family, Praiselyn, is a hyperactive four-year-old. Seven-year-old Paul attends Northland Primary where his mother teaches, just a minute's walk from their HDB home in Yishun.
Mrs Tan says she planned it that way because 'with so many kids, I have to keep family activities close to home, otherwise I would go crazy driving them all over Singapore'.
There are only 9 per cent of married women like Mrs Tan in Singapore, with five or more children, according to the General Household Survey of 2005.
Bringing up a brood of five is not without financial headaches and she confesses that they have had to watch every cent.
Their most stressful period was when Sars struck in 2003 and Mr Tan's business here was affected. He now works in Malaysia and returns home on weekends.
To save money, the couple downgraded from a seven-seater multi-purpose vehicle to a smaller Nissan Sunny.
Mrs Tan made a career switch as well, from human resource consulting to teaching as it promised a more steady income.
The family also had to forgo luxuries like long-distance travel in favour of short breaks in Malaysia and Indonesia. And the older children had to give up music lessons and other costly enrichment classes.
'We chose to look at it positively. Even if the children should be deprived of anything while growing up, they can be compensated in adult life when they start working,' she says.
Regret is the furthest thing from her mind. 'The pleasures of seeing them grow up - you can't put a price to that.'
In fact, the three older children have matured faster because of their family circumstances, working during the school holidays for extra pocket money and taking turns to mind their younger siblings.
One thing the Tans have not cut back on is a live-in foreign maid, who helps with household chores in their jumbo HDB flat.
If anything causes her a twinge of unhappiness, it is that her children were born too early to qualify for the Government's Baby Bonus payouts.
When the bonus was introduced in 2001, it applied only to the second ($3,000) and third ($6,000) child, so her fourth child Paul did not qualify even though he was born that year.
The cash bonus was expanded to cover the first ($3,000) and fourth child ($6,000) in 2004, a year after her fifth was born.
The scheme also has the Government matching dollar-for-dollar a savings fund for the second, third and fourth child, capped at a maximum of $12,000. This child development fund would have meant substantial savings for the Tans.
'I wish the policy could be changed so that with every child you are entitled to something - not just up to kid No. 4.
'And why not backdate it so that mothers like me who conceived four or more ahead of the policy can still be rewarded?' she suggests.
Also on her wish list: parents to be able to use as much of their Medisave as they want to pay for hospital delivery. Now, there are limits and the amount depends on the delivery procedure and length of hospital stay.
'After all, Medisave is our hard-earned money. I know the Government wants us to be prepared for retirement, but I think they should let us cope with childbirth first,' she says.
Tuesday, July 8, 2008
Construction firm Greatearth fined $132,000 for safety violations
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 7 Aug 2008.
Construction firm Greatearth fined $132,000 for safety violations
It was involved in the 2004 Fusionpolis accident that killed two workers and injured 29. -ST
Thu, Aug 07, 2008
The Straits Times
THE construction firm that was involved in the 2004 Fusionpolis accident that killed two workers and injured 29, was fined $132,000 for safety violations on Thursday.
Greatearth Construction admitted to the safety lapses which were uncovered during a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) inspection of its worksite at West Coast Road in April last year.
Of the 20 charges it faced, seven involved not placing a barrier to prevent workers from falling off the open sides of the over two-metre high uncompleted building. Another seven charges arose from obstructions along passageways that could cause workers to trip, while six violations involved storing wooden planks in areas where they could fall and injure workers.
Construction firm Greatearth fined $132,000 for safety violations
It was involved in the 2004 Fusionpolis accident that killed two workers and injured 29. -ST
Thu, Aug 07, 2008
The Straits Times
THE construction firm that was involved in the 2004 Fusionpolis accident that killed two workers and injured 29, was fined $132,000 for safety violations on Thursday.
Greatearth Construction admitted to the safety lapses which were uncovered during a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) inspection of its worksite at West Coast Road in April last year.
Of the 20 charges it faced, seven involved not placing a barrier to prevent workers from falling off the open sides of the over two-metre high uncompleted building. Another seven charges arose from obstructions along passageways that could cause workers to trip, while six violations involved storing wooden planks in areas where they could fall and injure workers.
Monday, July 7, 2008
'Family seeks answers to Indian national's death'
The following article appeared in TODAY on 7 Jun 08.
Family seeks answers to Indian national's death
07 June 2008
TODAY (Singapore)
THE death of a 30-year-old Indian national at Admiralty West Prison has created a minor stir in South India, after it was reported on an Indian news website on Thursday.
The distress alarm at Katu Raja’s dormitory was raised at 1.05am on May 22 after he vomited, said the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) in a statement on Friday. Katu Raja complained of giddiness to the duty staff nurse summoned, before losing consciousness. He was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s accident and emergency department, and pronounced deadhttp://www.blogger.com/post-edit.do# upon arrival, said the SPS.
Katu Raja had been convicted and sentenced for overstaying, SPS added, without elaborating.
The New Indian Express reported on Thursday that Katu Raja’s parents found out about his death through a phone call on June 2 from a prison inmate.
The report said, Katu Raja had come to Singapore on a tourist visa to look for work but ended up overstaying for 11 years as he could not get a job. He last spoke with his family shortly before getting arrested three months ago.
Through Mr S Irshad Ahamed, the New Indian Express correspondent who reported the story, Today got in touch with Katu Raja’s parents, a 51-year-old labourer and his 43-year-old wife. They live with three daughters in Nemmeli North, a small Tamil Nadu town.
The only son among four children, Katu Raja had spent 90,000 rupees ($2,900) — money that was borrowed and from the sale of a family property — to come to Singapore in 1997, said Mr Ahmed.
He eventually found employment as a construction worker and would send 5,000 to 10,000 rupees home every three months.
When the family found out about his arrest through an anonymous phone call, Mr Ahmed reported, they were shocked but “hopeful their son would be deported after a month or two”.
Following news of his death, a relative contacted the High Commission of India in Singapore which confirmed his death. The family is now seeking their government’s assistance to send his remains home.
:Said his father Mr Govindaraju, 51: “Whenever he spoke to us, he said that he was longing to get back to his native (land) as he could not find a permanent job and income.”
The SPS said it is in touch with the Indian High Commission, in accordance with its standard operating procedure. “As with any death of an inmate under custody, the matter has been referred to the Police for further investigation,” said its statement.
It added that the family could contact the SPS for further clarifications.
(c) 2008. MediaCorp Press Ltd.
Family seeks answers to Indian national's death
07 June 2008
TODAY (Singapore)
THE death of a 30-year-old Indian national at Admiralty West Prison has created a minor stir in South India, after it was reported on an Indian news website on Thursday.
The distress alarm at Katu Raja’s dormitory was raised at 1.05am on May 22 after he vomited, said the Singapore Prison Service (SPS) in a statement on Friday. Katu Raja complained of giddiness to the duty staff nurse summoned, before losing consciousness. He was sent to Tan Tock Seng Hospital’s accident and emergency department, and pronounced deadhttp://www.blogger.com/post-edit.do# upon arrival, said the SPS.
Katu Raja had been convicted and sentenced for overstaying, SPS added, without elaborating.
The New Indian Express reported on Thursday that Katu Raja’s parents found out about his death through a phone call on June 2 from a prison inmate.
The report said, Katu Raja had come to Singapore on a tourist visa to look for work but ended up overstaying for 11 years as he could not get a job. He last spoke with his family shortly before getting arrested three months ago.
Through Mr S Irshad Ahamed, the New Indian Express correspondent who reported the story, Today got in touch with Katu Raja’s parents, a 51-year-old labourer and his 43-year-old wife. They live with three daughters in Nemmeli North, a small Tamil Nadu town.
The only son among four children, Katu Raja had spent 90,000 rupees ($2,900) — money that was borrowed and from the sale of a family property — to come to Singapore in 1997, said Mr Ahmed.
He eventually found employment as a construction worker and would send 5,000 to 10,000 rupees home every three months.
When the family found out about his arrest through an anonymous phone call, Mr Ahmed reported, they were shocked but “hopeful their son would be deported after a month or two”.
Following news of his death, a relative contacted the High Commission of India in Singapore which confirmed his death. The family is now seeking their government’s assistance to send his remains home.
:Said his father Mr Govindaraju, 51: “Whenever he spoke to us, he said that he was longing to get back to his native (land) as he could not find a permanent job and income.”
The SPS said it is in touch with the Indian High Commission, in accordance with its standard operating procedure. “As with any death of an inmate under custody, the matter has been referred to the Police for further investigation,” said its statement.
It added that the family could contact the SPS for further clarifications.
(c) 2008. MediaCorp Press Ltd.
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