The following article was published by CNA on 30 Dec 2010.
Overstayer caught trying to leave S'pore
Channel NewsAsia, 30 December 2010
SINGAPORE : A 38-year-old China national who had overstayed in Singapore was caught when he tried to leave the country illegally on Wednesday.
He was found hiding in the boot of a Malaysian-registered car which had arrived at the Woodlands checkpoint at about 3.30pm.
The 20-year-old Malaysian driver and his 19-year-old sister, along with the overstayer, were arrested.
The driver revealed that he was approached by a male Malaysian Chinese to send the immigration offender out of Singapore illegally.
He added that he was promised 500 ringgit if he managed to do so successfully.
The China national, known as Huang, recounted that he had overstayed to seek illegal employment.
He had paid S$3,000 to an unknown female Chinese agent, known only as "Ah Mei", who made the arrangements.
Thursday, December 30, 2010
Jailed for hammer attack on tenant
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 30 Dec 2010.
Jailed for hammer attack on tenant
Straits Times, Dec 30, 2010
A LANDLORD who swung a metal hammer at his tenant, hitting him on the head, was jailed for nine months yesterday for causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.
A few days before Sept 25, Lawrence Chng Teck Kok, 62, told his tenant, Chinese national Liu Hua, to move out of his Pasir Ris flat within three days as the place was to be sold.
Chng raised the matter again on Sept 25 and demanded that 26-year-old Mr Liu, a cleaner, and his two roommates leave immediately.
Rejecting Mr Liu's request for three months' notice and a refund of his deposit, Chng told him to pack up and go.
He then followed Mr Liu into his room and punched him twice in the face.
Later, he crept up behind his tenant and attacked him with a hammer, leaving cuts in his head.
Chng, who has four previous convictions, could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
Jailed for hammer attack on tenant
Straits Times, Dec 30, 2010
A LANDLORD who swung a metal hammer at his tenant, hitting him on the head, was jailed for nine months yesterday for causing hurt with a dangerous weapon.
A few days before Sept 25, Lawrence Chng Teck Kok, 62, told his tenant, Chinese national Liu Hua, to move out of his Pasir Ris flat within three days as the place was to be sold.
Chng raised the matter again on Sept 25 and demanded that 26-year-old Mr Liu, a cleaner, and his two roommates leave immediately.
Rejecting Mr Liu's request for three months' notice and a refund of his deposit, Chng told him to pack up and go.
He then followed Mr Liu into his room and punched him twice in the face.
Later, he crept up behind his tenant and attacked him with a hammer, leaving cuts in his head.
Chng, who has four previous convictions, could have been jailed for up to seven years and fined.
Wednesday, December 29, 2010
Minimum Age for Maids: How old is old enough?
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 29 Dec 2010.
MINIMUM AGE FOR MAIDS: How old is old enough?
3 underage maids 'told to lie' about age and feel overwhelmed by chores
By Teh Joo Lin & Melissa Kok
Straits Times, Dec 29, 2010
Photo caption: Three underage maids who spoke to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity said they were coached by agents in their home countries to lie about their ages. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEE
AT THE age of 17, the Indonesian girl jumped at the chance to support her family of five by coming to Singapore to work as a maid.
She flew in early last year after an agent helped her get a new passport which stated her 'new' age as 23.
'The agent told me, 'Don't tell anybody about your age, or the police will catch you',' the baby-faced teen said on condition of anonymity.
But her excitement fizzled out when she met an employer who shuttled her between two houses, where she was saddled with chores until late at night.
Now 18, she thinks she should have waited before making the move.
'Being young, I thought I could do things, but when I couldn't, it was easy for me to give up,' she said. 'I just cried, prayed to God and tried to be happy (when I encountered problems).'
The teen was one of three maids - two Indonesian and one from Myanmar - who spoke to The Straits Times about the difficulties of life as an underage domestic worker.
The recent case of a 16-year-old Indonesian maid who allegedly murdered her employer's 12-year-old daughter has sparked a discussion of the topic. She has said that she earlier lied that she was 24 years old.
There are no official figures on the number of maids who flout the minimum age requirement of 23 years, introduced in 2005.
But the Ministry of Manpower said yesterday it has issued warnings to 14 employment agencies this year for bringing in underage maids.
Employment agencies, maids and non-governmental organisations interviewed by The Straits Times have mixed views concerning the minimum age requirement, which was raised from 18, based on the reasoning that older maids are more mature and responsible.
Some agree that older maids can look after themselves better and make a smoother transition to a new and faster-paced environment.
But others feel the age limit should be lowered to relieve the supply crunch, which could lead to rogue agents making more false age declarations.
They also point to the difficulty in enforcing the age ruling, since it can be hard to verify the age of the maids unless source countries ensure that the information on official documents, such as passports, is accurate.
Ms Shirley Ng, president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS), said it is not easy for employment agencies to challenge or question these official documents.
Some agencies said there are employers who prefer younger maids because they have the energy to handle chores and can work for a longer period of time before they return to their hometowns for good.
The maids interviewed said they were coached by agents in their home countries to lie about their ages.
Two of them said their local agents also reminded them to keep their real ages a secret.
An Indonesian maid who came here last year when she was 19, said: 'I followed (the instructions) and didn't ask (more) because I had dreams of coming to Singapore.'
She approached an agent in Java after she heard from her neighbour that Singapore was a clean country, with good employers. She said her parents had nagged that she 'only knew how to ask for money'.
The eldest of three siblings, now 20, said: 'I felt I was very young but I dreamt of helping my mother open a bigger shop when I had money.'
In Singapore, the maids said, they became depressed when they could not cope with the demands of their employers - who did not know their real ages - and did not know where to turn for help.
They felt especially stressed when they had to take care of young children. All three maids are single and childless.
The 20-year-old maid said she was released by her employer because she could not take care of the family's four-month-old baby. 'I liked the baby but when I tried to carry the baby I could not... when the baby moved, I was scared I would drop it,' she said.
But besides the age factor, 'proper matching' on the part of agencies is equally important in ensuring that maids can cope with the tasks given, said Ms Ng of AEAS.
She added: 'Recommend a more mature and experienced foreign domestic worker when greater responsibilities are expected of her.'
According to maid agencies, Taiwan and Hong Kong require foreign maids to be at least 23 years old, while in Malaysia, the minimum age is 21.
INDONESIA:: Ages on IDs easily faked
By Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Indonesia Correspondent
JAKARTA: Labour brokers in Indonesia earn a commission of two million rupiah (S$290) for every maid sent abroad, and village heads can be bribed to lie about the ages of teenagers who ask them to endorse job applications.
Many parents in Indonesian villages also encourage their children to enter the workforce right after they graduate from high school - usually at the age of 17 - to support the family. Working overseas is a good option, as it brings more money.
Acting as middlemen are companies that are mostly based in Jakarta. They pay locals in villages to act as brokers or independent agents called peluncur.
These men find willing candidates, get their parents' permission and also obtain an endorsement from the local village head to help the girls get an identification card called the Kartu Tanda Penduduk, which all overseas workers need to have. This card allows them to get other documents like passports.
Indonesian law requires anyone wishing to work abroad to be at least 21 years old. But some want to start work even though they are younger - so agents sometimes lie about their ages to the local authorities.
'Many want to start work early because of economic pressure. I think that's fine as long as they are mentally ready and can pass the required training,' said Mr Rusjdi Basalam, secretary-general of the Indonesian Labour Exporters Association.
Mr Syaiful Anas, an advocacy staff member at Migrant Care, which fights for overseas Indonesian workers' rights, also said candidates can 'adjust' their ages to qualify for the job.
This was not a problem, he added, as many villagers do not have a birth certificate, and require just an identification (ID) card and a letter from the village head.
'You can make one, two ID cards anywhere in Indonesia,' said Mr Basalam. 'The ID is real, but the age is not.'
Ms Rieke Dyah Pitaloka, an MP who champions maids' rights, said she and her colleagues were now amending a law to enlarge the government's role in the recruitment, protection and placement of overseas workers, which are now mostly left to the private sector.
THE PHILIPPINES:: Minimum age raised, more background checks
By Alastair McIndoe, Philippines Correspondent
MANILA: The Philippines has stepped up efforts in recent years to solve the issue of underage nationals leaving the country to work overseas - and to make it harder for passports to be obtained using fake identity documents. The minimum age for women working abroad as domestic workers was raised, three years ago, from 18 to 23.
The protective measure also made it far easier for immigration officials to spot teenage girls trying to leave the country as 'tourist workers' to find jobs as maids overseas.
But in this archipelago of porous borders and a bureaucracy tainted by corruption, the system is not airtight. To get a passport in the Philippines, applicants must produce - among other things - a birth certificate and police clearance showing that there are no pending criminal cases against them.
Steps have been taken to improve the verification process. The Department of Foreign Affairs' director for consular affairs, Mr Felipe Carino, said more rigorous background checks on applicants are required at the community level now.
He said it is also now far harder to forge Philippine passports after a new series was launched last year, featuring identification chips and other enhanced security features. Departure screening at Manila's international airport has also been noticeably beefed up.
Recruitment agencies say one of the weakest links in the system is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao - one of the poorest and most corruption-blighted parts of the country.
'People there often don't register births and it's easier to get fake documents for passports in return for bribes,' said the head of one agency, who asked not to be named.
The porous maritime border between Mindanao and Malaysia's Sabah state is also a well-travelled crossing for Filipinos seeking work in Asean's wealthier nations and the Middle East. They often do not fulfil the mandatory requirements of the government's overseas employment agency for being hired abroad, like verifiable identity checks.
It is hard to gauge how many underage Filipinos leave the country - either voluntarily or through coercion - to work overseas.
Occasionally, there are media reports of minors being rescued from dire conditions abroad, such as the six girls aged between 13 and 17 repatriated in 2008 from Jordan, where they worked as maids.
MINIMUM AGE FOR MAIDS: How old is old enough?
3 underage maids 'told to lie' about age and feel overwhelmed by chores
By Teh Joo Lin & Melissa Kok
Straits Times, Dec 29, 2010
Photo caption: Three underage maids who spoke to The Straits Times on condition of anonymity said they were coached by agents in their home countries to lie about their ages. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND WEEAT THE age of 17, the Indonesian girl jumped at the chance to support her family of five by coming to Singapore to work as a maid.
She flew in early last year after an agent helped her get a new passport which stated her 'new' age as 23.
'The agent told me, 'Don't tell anybody about your age, or the police will catch you',' the baby-faced teen said on condition of anonymity.
But her excitement fizzled out when she met an employer who shuttled her between two houses, where she was saddled with chores until late at night.
Now 18, she thinks she should have waited before making the move.
'Being young, I thought I could do things, but when I couldn't, it was easy for me to give up,' she said. 'I just cried, prayed to God and tried to be happy (when I encountered problems).'
The teen was one of three maids - two Indonesian and one from Myanmar - who spoke to The Straits Times about the difficulties of life as an underage domestic worker.
The recent case of a 16-year-old Indonesian maid who allegedly murdered her employer's 12-year-old daughter has sparked a discussion of the topic. She has said that she earlier lied that she was 24 years old.
There are no official figures on the number of maids who flout the minimum age requirement of 23 years, introduced in 2005.
But the Ministry of Manpower said yesterday it has issued warnings to 14 employment agencies this year for bringing in underage maids.
Employment agencies, maids and non-governmental organisations interviewed by The Straits Times have mixed views concerning the minimum age requirement, which was raised from 18, based on the reasoning that older maids are more mature and responsible.
Some agree that older maids can look after themselves better and make a smoother transition to a new and faster-paced environment.
But others feel the age limit should be lowered to relieve the supply crunch, which could lead to rogue agents making more false age declarations.
They also point to the difficulty in enforcing the age ruling, since it can be hard to verify the age of the maids unless source countries ensure that the information on official documents, such as passports, is accurate.
Ms Shirley Ng, president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore (AEAS), said it is not easy for employment agencies to challenge or question these official documents.
Some agencies said there are employers who prefer younger maids because they have the energy to handle chores and can work for a longer period of time before they return to their hometowns for good.
The maids interviewed said they were coached by agents in their home countries to lie about their ages.
Two of them said their local agents also reminded them to keep their real ages a secret.
An Indonesian maid who came here last year when she was 19, said: 'I followed (the instructions) and didn't ask (more) because I had dreams of coming to Singapore.'
She approached an agent in Java after she heard from her neighbour that Singapore was a clean country, with good employers. She said her parents had nagged that she 'only knew how to ask for money'.
The eldest of three siblings, now 20, said: 'I felt I was very young but I dreamt of helping my mother open a bigger shop when I had money.'
In Singapore, the maids said, they became depressed when they could not cope with the demands of their employers - who did not know their real ages - and did not know where to turn for help.
They felt especially stressed when they had to take care of young children. All three maids are single and childless.
The 20-year-old maid said she was released by her employer because she could not take care of the family's four-month-old baby. 'I liked the baby but when I tried to carry the baby I could not... when the baby moved, I was scared I would drop it,' she said.
But besides the age factor, 'proper matching' on the part of agencies is equally important in ensuring that maids can cope with the tasks given, said Ms Ng of AEAS.
She added: 'Recommend a more mature and experienced foreign domestic worker when greater responsibilities are expected of her.'
According to maid agencies, Taiwan and Hong Kong require foreign maids to be at least 23 years old, while in Malaysia, the minimum age is 21.
INDONESIA:: Ages on IDs easily faked
By Wahyudi Soeriaatmadja, Indonesia Correspondent
JAKARTA: Labour brokers in Indonesia earn a commission of two million rupiah (S$290) for every maid sent abroad, and village heads can be bribed to lie about the ages of teenagers who ask them to endorse job applications.
Many parents in Indonesian villages also encourage their children to enter the workforce right after they graduate from high school - usually at the age of 17 - to support the family. Working overseas is a good option, as it brings more money.
Acting as middlemen are companies that are mostly based in Jakarta. They pay locals in villages to act as brokers or independent agents called peluncur.
These men find willing candidates, get their parents' permission and also obtain an endorsement from the local village head to help the girls get an identification card called the Kartu Tanda Penduduk, which all overseas workers need to have. This card allows them to get other documents like passports.
Indonesian law requires anyone wishing to work abroad to be at least 21 years old. But some want to start work even though they are younger - so agents sometimes lie about their ages to the local authorities.
'Many want to start work early because of economic pressure. I think that's fine as long as they are mentally ready and can pass the required training,' said Mr Rusjdi Basalam, secretary-general of the Indonesian Labour Exporters Association.
Mr Syaiful Anas, an advocacy staff member at Migrant Care, which fights for overseas Indonesian workers' rights, also said candidates can 'adjust' their ages to qualify for the job.
This was not a problem, he added, as many villagers do not have a birth certificate, and require just an identification (ID) card and a letter from the village head.
'You can make one, two ID cards anywhere in Indonesia,' said Mr Basalam. 'The ID is real, but the age is not.'
Ms Rieke Dyah Pitaloka, an MP who champions maids' rights, said she and her colleagues were now amending a law to enlarge the government's role in the recruitment, protection and placement of overseas workers, which are now mostly left to the private sector.
THE PHILIPPINES:: Minimum age raised, more background checks
By Alastair McIndoe, Philippines Correspondent
MANILA: The Philippines has stepped up efforts in recent years to solve the issue of underage nationals leaving the country to work overseas - and to make it harder for passports to be obtained using fake identity documents. The minimum age for women working abroad as domestic workers was raised, three years ago, from 18 to 23.
The protective measure also made it far easier for immigration officials to spot teenage girls trying to leave the country as 'tourist workers' to find jobs as maids overseas.
But in this archipelago of porous borders and a bureaucracy tainted by corruption, the system is not airtight. To get a passport in the Philippines, applicants must produce - among other things - a birth certificate and police clearance showing that there are no pending criminal cases against them.
Steps have been taken to improve the verification process. The Department of Foreign Affairs' director for consular affairs, Mr Felipe Carino, said more rigorous background checks on applicants are required at the community level now.
He said it is also now far harder to forge Philippine passports after a new series was launched last year, featuring identification chips and other enhanced security features. Departure screening at Manila's international airport has also been noticeably beefed up.
Recruitment agencies say one of the weakest links in the system is the Autonomous Region in Muslim Mindanao - one of the poorest and most corruption-blighted parts of the country.
'People there often don't register births and it's easier to get fake documents for passports in return for bribes,' said the head of one agency, who asked not to be named.
The porous maritime border between Mindanao and Malaysia's Sabah state is also a well-travelled crossing for Filipinos seeking work in Asean's wealthier nations and the Middle East. They often do not fulfil the mandatory requirements of the government's overseas employment agency for being hired abroad, like verifiable identity checks.
It is hard to gauge how many underage Filipinos leave the country - either voluntarily or through coercion - to work overseas.
Occasionally, there are media reports of minors being rescued from dire conditions abroad, such as the six girls aged between 13 and 17 repatriated in 2008 from Jordan, where they worked as maids.
Sentosa Cove drowning ruled a misadventure
The following articles were published in the Straits Times on 29 Dec 2010.
SENTOSA COVE TRAGEDY: Sentosa Cove death an accident
Photo caption: Ms Li Hong Yan -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE LI FAMILY
WHEN Li Hong Yan came to Singapore last October, she told her family back home in China's Heilongjiang province that she had got a job as a hairdresser.
They did not know that the 24-year-old worked first in an Indian restaurant before becoming a karaoke lounge hostess.
Her clients at the lounge included Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, 39, the chief executive of real estate investment company Roundhill Capital.
He had a multi-million-dollar home in exclusive Sentosa Cove.
He called Ms Li 'Wawa', which means 'doll' in Mandarin. He asked for her at the lounge and, on two or three occasions, took her home for sex. He would pay her $800 for the whole evening.
On March 24, Ms Li's five-month Singapore sojourn ended tragically when she was found naked and dead in the pool of Mr Chua's bungalow.
State Coroner Victor Yeo yesterday ruled that Ms Li had drowned accidentally, and there was nothing suspicious about the circumstances of her death.
While Mr Chua was asleep after sex, she left his bedroom and went to the poolside, apparently to smoke.
She then undressed and got into the water. She could not swim, it was dark, and she probably did not realise the depth of the pool - 1.5m at its deepest. It is also possible she might have slipped on the steps leading to the water.
Mr Chua gave evidence, as did his maid, and in court were Ms Li's father and two other relatives.
Last night, Mr Li Kui You, 58, a soya bean farmer, said in Mandarin that he respected the final investigation results, but wished Mr Chua had done more to 'protect' his daughter.
Sentosa Cove drowning ruled a misadventure
No evidence of foul play; CCTV footage shows her going downstairs alone and making her way to the pool
By Khushwant Singh
Straits Times, Dec 29, 2010
Photo caption: Mr Adrian Chua, 39, and his 26-year-old maid Aye Aye Tun, who found the body, arriving in court yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOW
SHE grew up on an impoverished soya bean farm in China's north-eastern Heilongjiang province, a land known for harsh winters.
She died in sunny Singapore, naked in the lap pool of a multi-million-dollar bungalow in exclusive Sentosa Cove, after paid sex with a man she met at a karaoke lounge.
Nobody saw how Ms Li Hong Yan, 24, died, but what is clear is that there was no foul play involved.
Yesterday, State Coroner Victor Yeo returned a finding of misadventure on the death of the Chinese national who drowned on March 24 after an evening of drinking and singing.
The bungalow belonged to Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, 39, chief executive officer of real estate investment company Roundhill Capital.
The coroner found no evidence that Ms Li wanted to end her life, or that she was a victim of any crime.
'On the contrary, the evidence clearly suggests (she) was a non-swimmer, had gone to the pool deck area alone and she had disrobed herself before taking a swim in the pool, which led to her accidental drowning,' he said.
Mr Chua and his maid took the stand in a courtroom packed with journalists.
Mr Chua, who is single, told the court that he had met Ms Li at an Outram Road KTV lounge soon after she arrived in Singapore in October last year. He knew her only as 'Wawa', or 'doll' in Mandarin.
They kept in touch, and he took her home on two or three other occasions. He would pay her $800 each time, for the entertainment she provided at the lounge and for sex later in his house.
In the early hours of March 24, he took her home again and they had sex in his bedroom upstairs.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the house showed that at about 3.45am, Ms Li went downstairs alone and made her way to the pool outside, probably to smoke, as she had taken his cigarettes and lighter.
The coroner said she had probably decided to enter the pool on her own, and had removed her clothes to keep them dry. She probably did not realise that the pool was 1.5m deep.
'Considering that (she) was a fairly petite lady, 154cm tall, and she could not swim, she probably got into difficulties as she stepped into the deepest part of the pool,' Mr Yeo said.
He said it was also possible that she might have accidentally slipped and fallen into the deep end.
Her blood contained 125mg/100ml of ethanol, well above the legal drink-driving limit of 70mg.
The coroner ruled out foul play as there was no evidence or injuries to indicate she was attacked. He also found suicide unlikely as her family members, colleagues and flatmates said she was cheerful and had no problems.
In court yesterday were the dead woman's father, farmer Li Kui You, 58, her elder sister's mother-in-law, Madam Fang Shu Hui, 57, a housewife; and Ms Li's distant cousin Bai Bao Hui, 38, a lawyer.
Through an interpreter, Madam Fang asked Mr Chua how many times he had taken Ms Li to the pool.
Mr Chua said they had gone to the pool deck before, but only to smoke, not swim. He added that he had never swum there himself, despite having moved in about a year before the drowning.
He also told the court: 'We both had quite a bit to drink, but we were high, not drunk.'
Details of Ms Li's five months in Singapore and the events surrounding her death were revealed in court.
She arrived in Singapore in October last year and held a work permit. She lived in a rented room at Ipoh Lane, off Tanjong Katong Road.
In November last year, she started work as an assistant supervisor in an Indian restaurant at Jalan Besar. She was also a freelance hostess at Club Infinitude, a nightclub at Outram Road.
In February this year, she went home for Chinese New Year and spent three weeks with her family.
On March 4, she returned to the restaurant and told her boss, Mr Kumar Kuppusamy, 37, that she did not want to work there any more.
On the night of March 23, Mr Chua was at the Las Vegas KTV lounge in Havelock Road with a friend and a Japanese client. He asked Ms Li to join him there.
Together with four other hostesses, the group of eight drank two bottles of Chivas Regal whisky.
'The mood was good, and they chatted, sang, drank and laughed,' noted the coroner, adding that Mr Chua did not notice anything unusual about Ms Li.
At about 2am, Ms Li, Mr Chua and his friend went to the Beds pub at Mohamad Sultan Road for more drinks.
After half an hour, Mr Chua and Ms Li left together in a taxi.
'He had asked her to spend the night with him, and she agreed,' said Mr Yeo.
A Sentosa Cove ranger manning the gantry to the exclusive Sentosa enclave reported that Mr Chua was lying on her lap when the taxi came up. Mr Chua sat up, identified himself as a resident and was let through.
The court heard that Ms Li was dressed in a black sweater, black shorts and knee-high boots.
CCTV cameras inside Mr Chua's home recorded the couple arriving at 2.45am. He got himself a can of Pokka green tea and she took a can of Tiger beer from a refrigerator in the kitchen.
They were seen caressing as they went up the stairs.
Mr Yeo said that they went to Mr Chua's bedroom, where they had sex and oral sex.
He noted that Mr Chua had testified that 'he did not use any physical force on her, and he fell asleep when he felt the intoxicating effects of alcohol'.
The next CCTV footage was at 3.48am, when Ms Li was recorded going downstairs alone and heading for the sliding doors leading to the pool.
That was the last time she was seen alive.
At 6am, Mr Chua's Myanmar maid, Ms Aye Aye Tun, woke up and found the sliding door to the pool open. When she went to the pool deck, she spotted some women's clothes and Mr Chua's cigarettes and lighter.
The 26-year-old maid told the court through an interpreter that it was still dark, and she did not look towards the pool.
She saw a pair of knee-high women's boots inside the house, but did not think anything of it because it was quite usual for Mr Chua to bring home 'female companions'.
It was only an hour later, while she was tidying the study which overlooked the pool, that she saw Ms Li's body floating face down. She ran out of the house to ask a neighbour for help.
She told State Counsel Stella Tan that she did not call Mr Chua, who was asleep upstairs, because she was 'too frightened to stay in the house'.
Only when two rangers arrived did she go upstairs with them to wake her employer. A police report said Mr Chua 'appeared shocked to hear the news'.
In the bedroom, police found the rest of Ms Li's clothes and her handbag containing two mobile phones, a Rolex watch, two rings and a wallet with $832 and 1,590 yuan (S$310) in it.
Ms Li was pronounced dead at 9.36am.
Police said her underwear was found beside the bed. 'No used or unused condoms were found in the room,' added the police report.
Her body was identified by her former boss at the restaurant, Mr Kuppusamy.
It was not until April 16 that her family arrived from China to claim the body.
Her father told police that he had spoken to her a week before her death, when she called to check on her parents' well-being.
'There was nothing unusual about her last call to them. In fact, (she) was doing fine in Singapore and did not complain to them about anything,' said a police report.
Sadly, though, the drowning ended everything.
'He should have done more to protect her'
By Neo Xiaobin
Photo caption: Mr Li Kui You said Mr Adrian Chua, as the home owner, should have kept his daughter (above) from harm. -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE LI FAMILY
FARMER Li Kui You sat hunched over a table in the coroner's court, looking despondent.
When Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, 39, took the witness stand for about 20 minutes, Mr Li refused to look at him.
Later, he told The Straits Times that although he accepted the coroner's ruling, he was filled with anger against Mr Chua.
'My daughter was in his house. He should have done more to protect her,' he said in Mandarin.
Asked how Mr Chua could have done so as he was asleep when Ms Li Hong Yan went to the pool, he said: 'I am just a farmer, I don't know much. But I feel it is the responsibility of the house owner to make sure his guests don't come to any harm.'
Mr Li, 58, was also clearly upset to learn that his daughter had been smoking and drinking. 'If I had known what she was doing, there was no way I would have let her go to Singapore,' he said.
Two other relatives attended the hearing - Madam Fang Shu Hui, 57, the mother-in-law of his elder daughter, and Mr Bai Bao Hui, 38, a distant cousin of Ms Li.
Madam Fang said she was glad Mr Chua attended the hearing, and that he had faced them when he answered the questions she put to him.
'The court answered all our queries thoroughly and were detailed. I trust Singapore's justice system,' she said.
Mr Bai, a lawyer, said: 'We prepared many questions that we had doubts about, but they were all answered during the inquiry.'
The family will return to China on Saturday. Yesterday, Mr Li received a $10,000 note from a stranger who went up to him at the coroner's court, and $1,000 from other donors who sympathised with his situation.
Chua successful and highly educated
By Jermyn Chow
NOT much is known about the bachelor-businessman who was the last to see Ms Li Hong Yan alive in March.
Attempts to contact Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, the 39-year-old former owner of the plush Sentosa Cove bungalow where the Chinese national was found dead, drew a blank.
Those who knew him described him as successful, happy-go-lucky and friendly.
Mr Heng Lee Seng, for example, who provides corporate services to Mr Chua's real estate investment management firm Roundhill Capital, said the businessman always shows up at Mr Heng's HLS Corporate Services in Tanjong Pagar cheerful.
Mr Chua founded Roundhill Capital in 2001 and has been its chief executive since. The company has more than US$5 billion (S$6.5 billion) in investments in Asia.
He was also a director of food and beverage company Foodbex Global between 2001 and 2006.
From 1995 to 2001, he was a vice-president in the real estate arm of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.
As a student, he attended Raffles Institution and the former Raffles Junior College, before he enrolled to study real estate at the University of California, Berkeley, where he co-founded and became president of the Credit Union for Berkeley Students in 1995.
He also has a master's in finance from the London Business School.
Mr Chua told the court yesterday that he now lives at Jalan Lim Tai See in Bukit Timah.
When The Straits Times checked out the four-storey, semi-detached house with a rooftop pool yesterday, its curtains were drawn and all seemed quiet.
The house belongs to his parents, Mr Andy Chua and Madam Sally Lim, who own a similar house next door.
Mr Chua's maid Aye Aye Tun, 26, was seen getting out of a black BMW and entering the house yesterday.
The Myanmar national also took the stand in court yesterday. She was the one who discovered Ms Li's body in the pool at the Sentosa Cove bungalow, which has since been sold.
Neighbours at Jalan Lim Tai See said they have hardly seen Mr Chua around. One of them said the businessman was often overseas and was last spotted at home last year.
SENTOSA COVE TRAGEDY: Sentosa Cove death an accident
Photo caption: Ms Li Hong Yan -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE LI FAMILYWHEN Li Hong Yan came to Singapore last October, she told her family back home in China's Heilongjiang province that she had got a job as a hairdresser.
They did not know that the 24-year-old worked first in an Indian restaurant before becoming a karaoke lounge hostess.
Her clients at the lounge included Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, 39, the chief executive of real estate investment company Roundhill Capital.
He had a multi-million-dollar home in exclusive Sentosa Cove.
He called Ms Li 'Wawa', which means 'doll' in Mandarin. He asked for her at the lounge and, on two or three occasions, took her home for sex. He would pay her $800 for the whole evening.
On March 24, Ms Li's five-month Singapore sojourn ended tragically when she was found naked and dead in the pool of Mr Chua's bungalow.
State Coroner Victor Yeo yesterday ruled that Ms Li had drowned accidentally, and there was nothing suspicious about the circumstances of her death.
While Mr Chua was asleep after sex, she left his bedroom and went to the poolside, apparently to smoke.
She then undressed and got into the water. She could not swim, it was dark, and she probably did not realise the depth of the pool - 1.5m at its deepest. It is also possible she might have slipped on the steps leading to the water.
Mr Chua gave evidence, as did his maid, and in court were Ms Li's father and two other relatives.
Last night, Mr Li Kui You, 58, a soya bean farmer, said in Mandarin that he respected the final investigation results, but wished Mr Chua had done more to 'protect' his daughter.
Sentosa Cove drowning ruled a misadventure
No evidence of foul play; CCTV footage shows her going downstairs alone and making her way to the pool
By Khushwant Singh
Straits Times, Dec 29, 2010
Photo caption: Mr Adrian Chua, 39, and his 26-year-old maid Aye Aye Tun, who found the body, arriving in court yesterday. -- ST PHOTO: WONG KWAI CHOWSHE grew up on an impoverished soya bean farm in China's north-eastern Heilongjiang province, a land known for harsh winters.
She died in sunny Singapore, naked in the lap pool of a multi-million-dollar bungalow in exclusive Sentosa Cove, after paid sex with a man she met at a karaoke lounge.
Nobody saw how Ms Li Hong Yan, 24, died, but what is clear is that there was no foul play involved.
Yesterday, State Coroner Victor Yeo returned a finding of misadventure on the death of the Chinese national who drowned on March 24 after an evening of drinking and singing.
The bungalow belonged to Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, 39, chief executive officer of real estate investment company Roundhill Capital.
The coroner found no evidence that Ms Li wanted to end her life, or that she was a victim of any crime.
'On the contrary, the evidence clearly suggests (she) was a non-swimmer, had gone to the pool deck area alone and she had disrobed herself before taking a swim in the pool, which led to her accidental drowning,' he said.
Mr Chua and his maid took the stand in a courtroom packed with journalists.
Mr Chua, who is single, told the court that he had met Ms Li at an Outram Road KTV lounge soon after she arrived in Singapore in October last year. He knew her only as 'Wawa', or 'doll' in Mandarin.
They kept in touch, and he took her home on two or three other occasions. He would pay her $800 each time, for the entertainment she provided at the lounge and for sex later in his house.
In the early hours of March 24, he took her home again and they had sex in his bedroom upstairs.
Closed-circuit television (CCTV) cameras in the house showed that at about 3.45am, Ms Li went downstairs alone and made her way to the pool outside, probably to smoke, as she had taken his cigarettes and lighter.
The coroner said she had probably decided to enter the pool on her own, and had removed her clothes to keep them dry. She probably did not realise that the pool was 1.5m deep.
'Considering that (she) was a fairly petite lady, 154cm tall, and she could not swim, she probably got into difficulties as she stepped into the deepest part of the pool,' Mr Yeo said.
He said it was also possible that she might have accidentally slipped and fallen into the deep end.
Her blood contained 125mg/100ml of ethanol, well above the legal drink-driving limit of 70mg.
The coroner ruled out foul play as there was no evidence or injuries to indicate she was attacked. He also found suicide unlikely as her family members, colleagues and flatmates said she was cheerful and had no problems.
In court yesterday were the dead woman's father, farmer Li Kui You, 58, her elder sister's mother-in-law, Madam Fang Shu Hui, 57, a housewife; and Ms Li's distant cousin Bai Bao Hui, 38, a lawyer.
Through an interpreter, Madam Fang asked Mr Chua how many times he had taken Ms Li to the pool.
Mr Chua said they had gone to the pool deck before, but only to smoke, not swim. He added that he had never swum there himself, despite having moved in about a year before the drowning.
He also told the court: 'We both had quite a bit to drink, but we were high, not drunk.'
Details of Ms Li's five months in Singapore and the events surrounding her death were revealed in court.
She arrived in Singapore in October last year and held a work permit. She lived in a rented room at Ipoh Lane, off Tanjong Katong Road.
In November last year, she started work as an assistant supervisor in an Indian restaurant at Jalan Besar. She was also a freelance hostess at Club Infinitude, a nightclub at Outram Road.
In February this year, she went home for Chinese New Year and spent three weeks with her family.
On March 4, she returned to the restaurant and told her boss, Mr Kumar Kuppusamy, 37, that she did not want to work there any more.
On the night of March 23, Mr Chua was at the Las Vegas KTV lounge in Havelock Road with a friend and a Japanese client. He asked Ms Li to join him there.
Together with four other hostesses, the group of eight drank two bottles of Chivas Regal whisky.
'The mood was good, and they chatted, sang, drank and laughed,' noted the coroner, adding that Mr Chua did not notice anything unusual about Ms Li.
At about 2am, Ms Li, Mr Chua and his friend went to the Beds pub at Mohamad Sultan Road for more drinks.
After half an hour, Mr Chua and Ms Li left together in a taxi.
'He had asked her to spend the night with him, and she agreed,' said Mr Yeo.
A Sentosa Cove ranger manning the gantry to the exclusive Sentosa enclave reported that Mr Chua was lying on her lap when the taxi came up. Mr Chua sat up, identified himself as a resident and was let through.
The court heard that Ms Li was dressed in a black sweater, black shorts and knee-high boots.
CCTV cameras inside Mr Chua's home recorded the couple arriving at 2.45am. He got himself a can of Pokka green tea and she took a can of Tiger beer from a refrigerator in the kitchen.
They were seen caressing as they went up the stairs.
Mr Yeo said that they went to Mr Chua's bedroom, where they had sex and oral sex.
He noted that Mr Chua had testified that 'he did not use any physical force on her, and he fell asleep when he felt the intoxicating effects of alcohol'.
The next CCTV footage was at 3.48am, when Ms Li was recorded going downstairs alone and heading for the sliding doors leading to the pool.
That was the last time she was seen alive.
At 6am, Mr Chua's Myanmar maid, Ms Aye Aye Tun, woke up and found the sliding door to the pool open. When she went to the pool deck, she spotted some women's clothes and Mr Chua's cigarettes and lighter.
The 26-year-old maid told the court through an interpreter that it was still dark, and she did not look towards the pool.
She saw a pair of knee-high women's boots inside the house, but did not think anything of it because it was quite usual for Mr Chua to bring home 'female companions'.
It was only an hour later, while she was tidying the study which overlooked the pool, that she saw Ms Li's body floating face down. She ran out of the house to ask a neighbour for help.
She told State Counsel Stella Tan that she did not call Mr Chua, who was asleep upstairs, because she was 'too frightened to stay in the house'.
Only when two rangers arrived did she go upstairs with them to wake her employer. A police report said Mr Chua 'appeared shocked to hear the news'.
In the bedroom, police found the rest of Ms Li's clothes and her handbag containing two mobile phones, a Rolex watch, two rings and a wallet with $832 and 1,590 yuan (S$310) in it.
Ms Li was pronounced dead at 9.36am.
Police said her underwear was found beside the bed. 'No used or unused condoms were found in the room,' added the police report.
Her body was identified by her former boss at the restaurant, Mr Kuppusamy.
It was not until April 16 that her family arrived from China to claim the body.
Her father told police that he had spoken to her a week before her death, when she called to check on her parents' well-being.
'There was nothing unusual about her last call to them. In fact, (she) was doing fine in Singapore and did not complain to them about anything,' said a police report.
Sadly, though, the drowning ended everything.
'He should have done more to protect her'
By Neo Xiaobin
Photo caption: Mr Li Kui You said Mr Adrian Chua, as the home owner, should have kept his daughter (above) from harm. -- PHOTO: COURTESY OF THE LI FAMILYFARMER Li Kui You sat hunched over a table in the coroner's court, looking despondent.
When Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, 39, took the witness stand for about 20 minutes, Mr Li refused to look at him.
Later, he told The Straits Times that although he accepted the coroner's ruling, he was filled with anger against Mr Chua.
'My daughter was in his house. He should have done more to protect her,' he said in Mandarin.
Asked how Mr Chua could have done so as he was asleep when Ms Li Hong Yan went to the pool, he said: 'I am just a farmer, I don't know much. But I feel it is the responsibility of the house owner to make sure his guests don't come to any harm.'
Mr Li, 58, was also clearly upset to learn that his daughter had been smoking and drinking. 'If I had known what she was doing, there was no way I would have let her go to Singapore,' he said.
Two other relatives attended the hearing - Madam Fang Shu Hui, 57, the mother-in-law of his elder daughter, and Mr Bai Bao Hui, 38, a distant cousin of Ms Li.
Madam Fang said she was glad Mr Chua attended the hearing, and that he had faced them when he answered the questions she put to him.
'The court answered all our queries thoroughly and were detailed. I trust Singapore's justice system,' she said.
Mr Bai, a lawyer, said: 'We prepared many questions that we had doubts about, but they were all answered during the inquiry.'
The family will return to China on Saturday. Yesterday, Mr Li received a $10,000 note from a stranger who went up to him at the coroner's court, and $1,000 from other donors who sympathised with his situation.
Chua successful and highly educated
By Jermyn Chow
NOT much is known about the bachelor-businessman who was the last to see Ms Li Hong Yan alive in March.
Attempts to contact Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye, the 39-year-old former owner of the plush Sentosa Cove bungalow where the Chinese national was found dead, drew a blank.
Those who knew him described him as successful, happy-go-lucky and friendly.
Mr Heng Lee Seng, for example, who provides corporate services to Mr Chua's real estate investment management firm Roundhill Capital, said the businessman always shows up at Mr Heng's HLS Corporate Services in Tanjong Pagar cheerful.
Mr Chua founded Roundhill Capital in 2001 and has been its chief executive since. The company has more than US$5 billion (S$6.5 billion) in investments in Asia.
He was also a director of food and beverage company Foodbex Global between 2001 and 2006.
From 1995 to 2001, he was a vice-president in the real estate arm of the Government of Singapore Investment Corporation.
As a student, he attended Raffles Institution and the former Raffles Junior College, before he enrolled to study real estate at the University of California, Berkeley, where he co-founded and became president of the Credit Union for Berkeley Students in 1995.
He also has a master's in finance from the London Business School.
Mr Chua told the court yesterday that he now lives at Jalan Lim Tai See in Bukit Timah.
When The Straits Times checked out the four-storey, semi-detached house with a rooftop pool yesterday, its curtains were drawn and all seemed quiet.
The house belongs to his parents, Mr Andy Chua and Madam Sally Lim, who own a similar house next door.
Mr Chua's maid Aye Aye Tun, 26, was seen getting out of a black BMW and entering the house yesterday.
The Myanmar national also took the stand in court yesterday. She was the one who discovered Ms Li's body in the pool at the Sentosa Cove bungalow, which has since been sold.
Neighbours at Jalan Lim Tai See said they have hardly seen Mr Chua around. One of them said the businessman was often overseas and was last spotted at home last year.
Underage maids: Onus on agencies to ensure entry norms
The following letter was published in the Straits Times forum on 29 Dec 2010.
Underage maids: Onus on agencies to ensure entry norms
Straits Times Forum, Dec 29, 2010
WE REFER to the report on underage foreign domestic workers ('Murder case highlights underage maids issue'; last Saturday).
In 2004, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) introduced measures to ensure that foreign domestic workers (FDWs) who come to Singapore to work are mature and able to perform domestic work. This included raising the minimum age from 18 to 23 years. Mature FDWs are more responsible, as they are better able to take care of themselves and adapt to a foreign working environment.
MOM does not condone the employment of underage FDWs in Singapore. The FDW's particulars, including her age, will be verified against her official passport details when she reports to the Work Pass Services Centre. Staff at the centre also interview FDWs selectively to verify their application details. Those found to be under age will not be allowed to work here.
The authorities in the source countries, and employment agencies (EAs) in both the source country and Singapore, also play a major role in ensuring that FDWs coming to Singapore are not under age. As the passport is an official document issued by the source country's authorities, it is the primary document for identification and age verification. It is, therefore, important for the authorities in the source country to ensure the accuracy of such details.
EAs, as the first point of contact for FDWs and the FDW-employer intermediary, should also exercise due diligence in verifying the FDWs' age. This includes interviewing them and verifying their passports, birth documents and educational certificates.
Under the Employment Agency Licensing Conditions, the onus is on EAs to ensure that workers brought into Singapore meet MOM's entry requirements. This year, 14 EAs were warned for bringing in underage FDWs, of which four were also issued demerit points.
The EA that brought in the 16-year-old Indonesian FDW Nurhayati was already under investigation for other offences prior to this incident and we are in the process of revoking its licence.
MOM is sending all EAs a circular to remind them that bringing in underage FDWs is an offence. We will continue to step up our surveillance and enforcement efforts.
Employers are also encouraged to interview the FDWs before employing them to ensure that they are well- equipped to handle the workload. Employers who discover that their FDWs are under age should report the matter to MOM immediately.
Farah Abdul Rahim (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Manpower
Underage maids: Onus on agencies to ensure entry norms
Straits Times Forum, Dec 29, 2010
WE REFER to the report on underage foreign domestic workers ('Murder case highlights underage maids issue'; last Saturday).
In 2004, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) introduced measures to ensure that foreign domestic workers (FDWs) who come to Singapore to work are mature and able to perform domestic work. This included raising the minimum age from 18 to 23 years. Mature FDWs are more responsible, as they are better able to take care of themselves and adapt to a foreign working environment.
MOM does not condone the employment of underage FDWs in Singapore. The FDW's particulars, including her age, will be verified against her official passport details when she reports to the Work Pass Services Centre. Staff at the centre also interview FDWs selectively to verify their application details. Those found to be under age will not be allowed to work here.
The authorities in the source countries, and employment agencies (EAs) in both the source country and Singapore, also play a major role in ensuring that FDWs coming to Singapore are not under age. As the passport is an official document issued by the source country's authorities, it is the primary document for identification and age verification. It is, therefore, important for the authorities in the source country to ensure the accuracy of such details.
EAs, as the first point of contact for FDWs and the FDW-employer intermediary, should also exercise due diligence in verifying the FDWs' age. This includes interviewing them and verifying their passports, birth documents and educational certificates.
Under the Employment Agency Licensing Conditions, the onus is on EAs to ensure that workers brought into Singapore meet MOM's entry requirements. This year, 14 EAs were warned for bringing in underage FDWs, of which four were also issued demerit points.
The EA that brought in the 16-year-old Indonesian FDW Nurhayati was already under investigation for other offences prior to this incident and we are in the process of revoking its licence.
MOM is sending all EAs a circular to remind them that bringing in underage FDWs is an offence. We will continue to step up our surveillance and enforcement efforts.
Employers are also encouraged to interview the FDWs before employing them to ensure that they are well- equipped to handle the workload. Employers who discover that their FDWs are under age should report the matter to MOM immediately.
Farah Abdul Rahim (Ms)
Director, Corporate Communications
Ministry of Manpower
Ministry warns maid agencies
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 29 Dec 2010.
Ministry warns maid agencies
14 found bringing in underage girls; four given demerit points
By Teh Joo Lin
Straits Times, Dec 29, 20
THE Manpower Ministry (MOM) said yesterday it has found underage maids working here and has issued warnings to 14 employment agencies this year for flouting the rule.
Four of the agencies were also issued demerit points, which put them at risk of losing their licence.
This is the first time the ministry is releasing such figures since 2005, when the minimum age requirement for foreign maids was raised from 18 to 23 years old.
The issue has come under the spotlight following the case of Indonesian maid Nurhayati, who has been charged with murdering her employer's disabled 12-year-old daughter last month.
It emerged in court last week that the maid, whose travel document stated that she is 24, is in fact only 16.
MOM told The Straits Times yesterday that it is in the process of revoking the licence of the agency that brought her in. The agency, which is not named, had been under investigation for other offences.
The ministry is also sending a circular to agencies to warn them against bringing in underage maids.
'MOM does not condone the employment of underage foreign domestic workers in Singapore,' it said. 'We will continue to step up our surveillance and enforcement efforts.'
Despite the minimum age rule going into force five years ago, agencies say it is not unusual for maids to fake their age in order to work here.
Many parents in Indonesian villages, for instance, want their children to start working right after they graduate from high school - usually at the age of 17 - to support the family.
Recruiters also claim that the more mature and experienced maids tend to choose to work in places such as Hong Kong, where the pay is higher.
Agencies here say it is difficult to determine the age of the maids because they come from countries that may not keep proper identification records.
While that may be true, MOM stressed that agencies also play a key role because they are the first point of contact for maids, and the intermediary between the latter and employers.
Agencies should also exercise due diligence in verifying a maid's age, said MOM, including interviewing her and verifying her documents.
On the part of the ministry, current safeguards in place include verifying the maid's particulars against her official passport details when she reports to the Work Pass Services Centre for finger-printing. Staff at the centre also interview maids selectively.
Ms Shirley Ng, president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore, said agencies generally try their best to ensure the accuracy of a maid's age by checking her documents.
Some also personally interview maids in their source countries, although they are barred from doing so in nations such as Myanmar. But she pointed out: 'Even then, there is no guarantee that agencies are 100 per cent definite that the maid is the age that she claims to be.'
Employers who discover that their maids are underage should report the matter to MOM by calling 6438-5122 or e-mailing mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg
Ministry warns maid agencies
14 found bringing in underage girls; four given demerit points
By Teh Joo Lin
Straits Times, Dec 29, 20
THE Manpower Ministry (MOM) said yesterday it has found underage maids working here and has issued warnings to 14 employment agencies this year for flouting the rule.
Four of the agencies were also issued demerit points, which put them at risk of losing their licence.
This is the first time the ministry is releasing such figures since 2005, when the minimum age requirement for foreign maids was raised from 18 to 23 years old.
The issue has come under the spotlight following the case of Indonesian maid Nurhayati, who has been charged with murdering her employer's disabled 12-year-old daughter last month.
It emerged in court last week that the maid, whose travel document stated that she is 24, is in fact only 16.
MOM told The Straits Times yesterday that it is in the process of revoking the licence of the agency that brought her in. The agency, which is not named, had been under investigation for other offences.
The ministry is also sending a circular to agencies to warn them against bringing in underage maids.
'MOM does not condone the employment of underage foreign domestic workers in Singapore,' it said. 'We will continue to step up our surveillance and enforcement efforts.'
Despite the minimum age rule going into force five years ago, agencies say it is not unusual for maids to fake their age in order to work here.
Many parents in Indonesian villages, for instance, want their children to start working right after they graduate from high school - usually at the age of 17 - to support the family.
Recruiters also claim that the more mature and experienced maids tend to choose to work in places such as Hong Kong, where the pay is higher.
Agencies here say it is difficult to determine the age of the maids because they come from countries that may not keep proper identification records.
While that may be true, MOM stressed that agencies also play a key role because they are the first point of contact for maids, and the intermediary between the latter and employers.
Agencies should also exercise due diligence in verifying a maid's age, said MOM, including interviewing her and verifying her documents.
On the part of the ministry, current safeguards in place include verifying the maid's particulars against her official passport details when she reports to the Work Pass Services Centre for finger-printing. Staff at the centre also interview maids selectively.
Ms Shirley Ng, president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore, said agencies generally try their best to ensure the accuracy of a maid's age by checking her documents.
Some also personally interview maids in their source countries, although they are barred from doing so in nations such as Myanmar. But she pointed out: 'Even then, there is no guarantee that agencies are 100 per cent definite that the maid is the age that she claims to be.'
Employers who discover that their maids are underage should report the matter to MOM by calling 6438-5122 or e-mailing mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg
Tuesday, December 28, 2010
Sentosa Cove drowning an accidental death
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 28 Dec 2010.
Sentosa Cove drowning an accidental death
By Khushwant Singh
Straits Times, Dec 28, 2010
Photo caption: The body of Li Hong Yan, 24, a Chinese national, was found in the pool of a bungalow at Sentosa Cove. -- PHOTO: WANBAO
AT THE inquiry on Tuesday, State Coroner Victor Yeo returned a finding of misadventure on the death of Chinese national who drowned in the pool of a bungalow at Sentosa Cove on March 24 this year.
Ms Li Hong Yan, 24, died after an evening of drinking and singing at the Las Vegas KTV lounge with the house owner, Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye. A toxicology test showed her blood contained 125mg/100ml of ethanol. The legal limit for drink-driving is 70mg.
The court heard that Ms Li, a Chinese national, went downstairs to the pool deck probably for a smoke as she had taken Mr Chua's cigarettes and lighter.
Said Coroner Yeo: 'At the pool deck, the deceased decided to enter the pool on her own, and had taken off her clothes so as not to wet them. She descended the stairs and probably did not know that the depth was 1.5m. The deceased was of petite built, only 1.54m tall, and very probably got into difficulties at the deep end.'
The coroner said that it was also possible she could have slipped while walking down the steps of the pool and sustained the 2cm by 1cm bruise on her left knee. But he ruled out foul play as there were no evidence or injuries that indicated she was attacked. Her colleagues and flatmates also said that she was cheerful and did not appear to have any problems.
She had previously held a day job as an assistant supervisor of an Indian restaurant but she had quit on March 4.
Sentosa Cove drowning an accidental death
By Khushwant Singh
Straits Times, Dec 28, 2010
Photo caption: The body of Li Hong Yan, 24, a Chinese national, was found in the pool of a bungalow at Sentosa Cove. -- PHOTO: WANBAOAT THE inquiry on Tuesday, State Coroner Victor Yeo returned a finding of misadventure on the death of Chinese national who drowned in the pool of a bungalow at Sentosa Cove on March 24 this year.
Ms Li Hong Yan, 24, died after an evening of drinking and singing at the Las Vegas KTV lounge with the house owner, Mr Adrian Chua Boon Chye. A toxicology test showed her blood contained 125mg/100ml of ethanol. The legal limit for drink-driving is 70mg.
The court heard that Ms Li, a Chinese national, went downstairs to the pool deck probably for a smoke as she had taken Mr Chua's cigarettes and lighter.
Said Coroner Yeo: 'At the pool deck, the deceased decided to enter the pool on her own, and had taken off her clothes so as not to wet them. She descended the stairs and probably did not know that the depth was 1.5m. The deceased was of petite built, only 1.54m tall, and very probably got into difficulties at the deep end.'
The coroner said that it was also possible she could have slipped while walking down the steps of the pool and sustained the 2cm by 1cm bruise on her left knee. But he ruled out foul play as there were no evidence or injuries that indicated she was attacked. Her colleagues and flatmates also said that she was cheerful and did not appear to have any problems.
She had previously held a day job as an assistant supervisor of an Indian restaurant but she had quit on March 4.
Sentosa Cove pool death: Inquiry starts today
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 28 Dec 2010.
Sentosa Cove pool death: Inquiry starts today
Family hopes to bring closure to tragic end of lounge hostess
By Neo Xiaobin
Straits Times, Dec 28, 2010
Photo caption: The body of Chinese national Li Hong Yan was found floating in a 1.3m-deep lap pool on the grounds of a bungalow then owned by Roundhill Capital founder Adrian Chua on March 24. -- SHIN MIN FILE PHOTO
NINE months have passed since the naked body of Chinese karaoke lounge hostess Li Hong Yan was found floating in the pool of a Sentosa Cove bungalow.
Today, a coroner's inquiry may provide answers to questions surrounding her death.
Attending the hearing at the Subordinate Courts will be Ms Li's father, Mr Li Kui You, 58, a soya bean farmer from Heilongjiang in north-eastern China, who arrived with two relatives on Saturday.
'Hopefully, our doubts can be cleared,' he said, adding that he remains tormented by his daughter's death.
In August last year , Ms Li, 24, convinced her father to let her come to Singapore to work so she could support the family.
She arrived on Nov 10 and landed a day job as a catering supervisor in an Indian eatery along Jalan Besar. She was also moonlighting as a karaoke hostess in a number of KTV lounges at Havelock Road until her untimely death.
Her parents were under the impression she was working as a hairdresser.
On March 24, her body was found floating in a 1.3m-deep lap pool on the grounds of a three-storey bungalow at Sentosa Cove's Ocean Drive.
The house at the time belonged to Mr Adrian Chua, 39, founder and chief executive of Roundhill Capital, a property investment management firm.
He reportedly met Ms Li at Las Vegas De' Palace, a karaoke lounge at Havelock Road, the night before. They were believed to have left together and gone to a Boat Quay pub before heading to his waterfront house on Sentosa.
Police have not revealed details of the case since investigations began.
Mr Chua has not spoken to the media about what happened, and his house was sold in August for $13.6 million.
Mr Li said Mr Chua had also not contacted the family.
'My wish now is to find out what happened that night. I really hope to hear from Mr Chua at the coroner's inquiry,' he said. 'My daughter died in his house. As a father, I need to know what happened.'
Upon getting news of her death, the farmer sold the family's land of about 20,000 sq m to come to Singapore. He sold it to a fellow villager for 15,000 yuan (S$3,000) and raised 37,000 yuan in loans from relatives.
He came with his wife, elder daughter and two relatives to claim the body. Ms Li's ashes were scattered at sea in Dalian.
News of the tragedy prompted more than 20 anonymous well-wishers in Singapore to donate $35,000 to the family.
That enabled Mr Li to buy back his land and repay his debts.
The money also paid for his trip here this week, with his daughter's mother-in law, Madam Fang Shu Hui, and her relative, Mr Bai Bao Hui, a lawyer.
They are hoping for answers at the inquest, and some closure.
Mr Li said: 'We hope to have our doubts cleared by the coroner's inquiry results. Then the family can move on with their lives.'
Sentosa Cove pool death: Inquiry starts today
Family hopes to bring closure to tragic end of lounge hostess
By Neo Xiaobin
Straits Times, Dec 28, 2010
Photo caption: The body of Chinese national Li Hong Yan was found floating in a 1.3m-deep lap pool on the grounds of a bungalow then owned by Roundhill Capital founder Adrian Chua on March 24. -- SHIN MIN FILE PHOTONINE months have passed since the naked body of Chinese karaoke lounge hostess Li Hong Yan was found floating in the pool of a Sentosa Cove bungalow.
Today, a coroner's inquiry may provide answers to questions surrounding her death.
Attending the hearing at the Subordinate Courts will be Ms Li's father, Mr Li Kui You, 58, a soya bean farmer from Heilongjiang in north-eastern China, who arrived with two relatives on Saturday.
'Hopefully, our doubts can be cleared,' he said, adding that he remains tormented by his daughter's death.
In August last year , Ms Li, 24, convinced her father to let her come to Singapore to work so she could support the family.
She arrived on Nov 10 and landed a day job as a catering supervisor in an Indian eatery along Jalan Besar. She was also moonlighting as a karaoke hostess in a number of KTV lounges at Havelock Road until her untimely death.
Her parents were under the impression she was working as a hairdresser.
On March 24, her body was found floating in a 1.3m-deep lap pool on the grounds of a three-storey bungalow at Sentosa Cove's Ocean Drive.
The house at the time belonged to Mr Adrian Chua, 39, founder and chief executive of Roundhill Capital, a property investment management firm.
He reportedly met Ms Li at Las Vegas De' Palace, a karaoke lounge at Havelock Road, the night before. They were believed to have left together and gone to a Boat Quay pub before heading to his waterfront house on Sentosa.
Police have not revealed details of the case since investigations began.
Mr Chua has not spoken to the media about what happened, and his house was sold in August for $13.6 million.
Mr Li said Mr Chua had also not contacted the family.
'My wish now is to find out what happened that night. I really hope to hear from Mr Chua at the coroner's inquiry,' he said. 'My daughter died in his house. As a father, I need to know what happened.'
Upon getting news of her death, the farmer sold the family's land of about 20,000 sq m to come to Singapore. He sold it to a fellow villager for 15,000 yuan (S$3,000) and raised 37,000 yuan in loans from relatives.
He came with his wife, elder daughter and two relatives to claim the body. Ms Li's ashes were scattered at sea in Dalian.
News of the tragedy prompted more than 20 anonymous well-wishers in Singapore to donate $35,000 to the family.
That enabled Mr Li to buy back his land and repay his debts.
The money also paid for his trip here this week, with his daughter's mother-in law, Madam Fang Shu Hui, and her relative, Mr Bai Bao Hui, a lawyer.
They are hoping for answers at the inquest, and some closure.
Mr Li said: 'We hope to have our doubts cleared by the coroner's inquiry results. Then the family can move on with their lives.'
Monday, December 27, 2010
More psychiatric help for migrant workers?
The following article was published in TODAY on 27 Dec 2010.
More psychiatric help for migrant workers?
by Esther Ng
TODAY, Dec 27, 2010
SINGAPORE - They seem all right when they arrive here.
But when they cannot cope, some foreign domestic workers (FDW) suffer a nervous breakdown and are either sent to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or, in some cases, repatriated without receiving any medical assessment.
While much has been done by the Government to improve the welfare of foreign workers in recent years, there seems to be little offered in the way of emotional and psychological support.
Non-government organisation (NGO) Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) - an initiative of the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employment Federation - provides counselling, but only for employment-related issues.
The centre also runs conversational English courses and recently held a bash for migrant workers on International Migrants Day on Dec 19.
MWC's centre manager, Mr Bernard Menon, said: "It's not within our objective or strategy to provide psychiatric services. You need professionals and it's expensive.
"As an NGO with finite resources, we want to benefit as many people with a common set of problems, and mental illnesses (in comparison) is not common."
He added MWC would try its best to resolve a problem if approached.
FDWs need greater support and counselling because of the nature of their work, said Manpower Government Parliamentary Committee chairperson Halimah Yacob.
"Unlike other migrant workers, the workplace of FDWs is within the home. If they don't get to go out, it can be very isolating," she told MediaCorp.
Other NGOs like Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) said they do provide counselling but are hampered by resources.
In recent weeks, TWC2 cut its helpline operating hours by four hours. Its volunteers now man the line from 10am to 6pm.
Who will pay for mental health tests, treatment?
IMH does not track the number of FDWs admitted, but a check with employment agencies revealed that a number of them have had a few cases of FDWs being sent to IMH.
The frequency of such admissions could range from one to two cases a year, to just one case in three years, they said.
Inexperienced FDWs who have never left the country - coupled with homesickness, demands from employers, social isolation, cultural differences, and the burden of servicing their debt - were most susceptible to a mental breakdown in the first few days or months of their employment, they noted.
Housewife Jessica R had to call the police when she saw her maid of eight weeks crying and holding a knife in the kitchen.
Ms R, who declined to give her full name, said: "She was all right for two, three weeks, but after that she had crying spells and accused me of using a camera on her. She also wrote a letter to another maid saying that she was tortured, had no food and no sleep."
The police sent Ms R's domestic helper to IMH.
As mental illness is not covered by insurance, Ms R was unhappy that she had to bear hospitalisation and treatment costs at IMH.
Inpatient charges for work permit or employment pass holders for daily ward and treatment fees at IMH start from $150 per day, depending on the class of accommodation.
After a stay of around five days, Ms R's FDW was repatriated to the Philippines.
Other FDWs in similar situations may not be so fortunate as to receive medical attention and are repatriated almost immediately.
For the assurance of employers and well-being of FDWs, there have been suggestions that FDWs take a psychiatric test, preferably in their country of origin, if not in Singapore when they go for their mandatory medical test.
JL Employment Services director Joanne Lee said: "It's all very well, but are employers prepared to foot the bill?"
TWC2 president John Gee feels that the Government should come in with more funding, not just for psychiatric tests but counselling and hospitalisation.
Home founder Bridget Lew suggested insurance be extended to cover mental illnesses or hospitalisation subsidies be extended to FDWs just "like how locals are in our hospitals".
Said Ms Lew: "This will help employers with costs - under the law, employers have to bear all medical expenses for the FDW."
Mdm Halimah agreed, saying: "The larger issue here is that medical insurance should cover mental illness for everyone."
More psychiatric help for migrant workers?
by Esther Ng
TODAY, Dec 27, 2010
SINGAPORE - They seem all right when they arrive here.
But when they cannot cope, some foreign domestic workers (FDW) suffer a nervous breakdown and are either sent to the Institute of Mental Health (IMH) or, in some cases, repatriated without receiving any medical assessment.
While much has been done by the Government to improve the welfare of foreign workers in recent years, there seems to be little offered in the way of emotional and psychological support.
Non-government organisation (NGO) Migrant Workers Centre (MWC) - an initiative of the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employment Federation - provides counselling, but only for employment-related issues.
The centre also runs conversational English courses and recently held a bash for migrant workers on International Migrants Day on Dec 19.
MWC's centre manager, Mr Bernard Menon, said: "It's not within our objective or strategy to provide psychiatric services. You need professionals and it's expensive.
"As an NGO with finite resources, we want to benefit as many people with a common set of problems, and mental illnesses (in comparison) is not common."
He added MWC would try its best to resolve a problem if approached.
FDWs need greater support and counselling because of the nature of their work, said Manpower Government Parliamentary Committee chairperson Halimah Yacob.
"Unlike other migrant workers, the workplace of FDWs is within the home. If they don't get to go out, it can be very isolating," she told MediaCorp.
Other NGOs like Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) said they do provide counselling but are hampered by resources.
In recent weeks, TWC2 cut its helpline operating hours by four hours. Its volunteers now man the line from 10am to 6pm.
Who will pay for mental health tests, treatment?
IMH does not track the number of FDWs admitted, but a check with employment agencies revealed that a number of them have had a few cases of FDWs being sent to IMH.
The frequency of such admissions could range from one to two cases a year, to just one case in three years, they said.
Inexperienced FDWs who have never left the country - coupled with homesickness, demands from employers, social isolation, cultural differences, and the burden of servicing their debt - were most susceptible to a mental breakdown in the first few days or months of their employment, they noted.
Housewife Jessica R had to call the police when she saw her maid of eight weeks crying and holding a knife in the kitchen.
Ms R, who declined to give her full name, said: "She was all right for two, three weeks, but after that she had crying spells and accused me of using a camera on her. She also wrote a letter to another maid saying that she was tortured, had no food and no sleep."
The police sent Ms R's domestic helper to IMH.
As mental illness is not covered by insurance, Ms R was unhappy that she had to bear hospitalisation and treatment costs at IMH.
Inpatient charges for work permit or employment pass holders for daily ward and treatment fees at IMH start from $150 per day, depending on the class of accommodation.
After a stay of around five days, Ms R's FDW was repatriated to the Philippines.
Other FDWs in similar situations may not be so fortunate as to receive medical attention and are repatriated almost immediately.
For the assurance of employers and well-being of FDWs, there have been suggestions that FDWs take a psychiatric test, preferably in their country of origin, if not in Singapore when they go for their mandatory medical test.
JL Employment Services director Joanne Lee said: "It's all very well, but are employers prepared to foot the bill?"
TWC2 president John Gee feels that the Government should come in with more funding, not just for psychiatric tests but counselling and hospitalisation.
Home founder Bridget Lew suggested insurance be extended to cover mental illnesses or hospitalisation subsidies be extended to FDWs just "like how locals are in our hospitals".
Said Ms Lew: "This will help employers with costs - under the law, employers have to bear all medical expenses for the FDW."
Mdm Halimah agreed, saying: "The larger issue here is that medical insurance should cover mental illness for everyone."
Behave at casinos or risk a ban
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 27 Dec 2010.
Behave at casinos or risk a ban
Offences include theft, cheating, fighting
By Huang Lijie
Straits Times, Dec 27, 2010
PLAY nice at the casino or you could be banned from entering even without an exclusion order.
Casinos here have been declaring patrons who breach house rules persona non grata - Latin for 'an unwelcome person' - and barring them entry. These patrons will be given a notice informing them that they are barred from the premises.
Unlike exclusion orders such as the voluntary and family exclusions that are implemented by the authorities, casinos can decide on their own whom they will allow on their premises.
Indeed, any business that owns private property has the right to deny a customer entry and they usually do so when the guest is a threat to the business or other patrons.
Companies here with customer blacklists include nightspots, country clubs, airline carriers and even supermarkets.
Patrons who ignore the ban on them can be arrested for trespassing.
Earlier this month, construction worker Liu Shimeng was fined a total of $3,000 for criminal trespass and entering the Marina Bay Sands casino after it had declared him persona non grata.
The 32-year-old Chinese national was barred from the casino about 21/2 months ago after he was convicted of theft from the casino.
But he ignored the ban and entered the casino last month. He was later caught in the gaming section by a security officer.
Liu also had an exclusion order issued by the Commissioner of Police, which has barred some 3,500 people with serious criminal records, including illegal moneylending and prostitution, from the casinos.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has also registered 35,000 third-party exclusion orders for undischarged bankrupts and those on public assistance, 2,500 self-exclusion orders and 194 family exclusion orders.
Marina Bay Sands did not reply to queries from The Straits Times on how it enforces persona non grata.
Resorts World Sentosa said it has made guests 'who breach house rules' persona non grata, although it declined to say how many.
Las Vegas-based casino consultant Andrew Klebanow said it is common for casinos elsewhere to declare customers persona non grata, but it is often as a last resort to keep out unsavoury characters.
He said: 'Casinos are not in the business to exclude patrons but if a customer behaves egregiously and demonstrates himself to be a danger to others, casinos are obligated to deny admission to those patrons.'
He added that punters made persona non grata are usually those who steal from other customers or from the casino, those who cheat, or those who fight in the casino or pose a physical threat to others.
At Resorts World Sentosa, an internal committee deliberates on the decision before a guest is served a persona non grata notice.
Mr Oh Kar Chye, vice-president of security services at the integrated resort, said guests served the notice can appeal against it.
He added: 'Guests made persona non grata will have their information uploaded into our security system so that any attempt to enter the casino will be detected at the entrance.'
Behave at casinos or risk a ban
Offences include theft, cheating, fighting
By Huang Lijie
Straits Times, Dec 27, 2010
PLAY nice at the casino or you could be banned from entering even without an exclusion order.
Casinos here have been declaring patrons who breach house rules persona non grata - Latin for 'an unwelcome person' - and barring them entry. These patrons will be given a notice informing them that they are barred from the premises.
Unlike exclusion orders such as the voluntary and family exclusions that are implemented by the authorities, casinos can decide on their own whom they will allow on their premises.
Indeed, any business that owns private property has the right to deny a customer entry and they usually do so when the guest is a threat to the business or other patrons.
Companies here with customer blacklists include nightspots, country clubs, airline carriers and even supermarkets.
Patrons who ignore the ban on them can be arrested for trespassing.
Earlier this month, construction worker Liu Shimeng was fined a total of $3,000 for criminal trespass and entering the Marina Bay Sands casino after it had declared him persona non grata.
The 32-year-old Chinese national was barred from the casino about 21/2 months ago after he was convicted of theft from the casino.
But he ignored the ban and entered the casino last month. He was later caught in the gaming section by a security officer.
Liu also had an exclusion order issued by the Commissioner of Police, which has barred some 3,500 people with serious criminal records, including illegal moneylending and prostitution, from the casinos.
The National Council on Problem Gambling has also registered 35,000 third-party exclusion orders for undischarged bankrupts and those on public assistance, 2,500 self-exclusion orders and 194 family exclusion orders.
Marina Bay Sands did not reply to queries from The Straits Times on how it enforces persona non grata.
Resorts World Sentosa said it has made guests 'who breach house rules' persona non grata, although it declined to say how many.
Las Vegas-based casino consultant Andrew Klebanow said it is common for casinos elsewhere to declare customers persona non grata, but it is often as a last resort to keep out unsavoury characters.
He said: 'Casinos are not in the business to exclude patrons but if a customer behaves egregiously and demonstrates himself to be a danger to others, casinos are obligated to deny admission to those patrons.'
He added that punters made persona non grata are usually those who steal from other customers or from the casino, those who cheat, or those who fight in the casino or pose a physical threat to others.
At Resorts World Sentosa, an internal committee deliberates on the decision before a guest is served a persona non grata notice.
Mr Oh Kar Chye, vice-president of security services at the integrated resort, said guests served the notice can appeal against it.
He added: 'Guests made persona non grata will have their information uploaded into our security system so that any attempt to enter the casino will be detected at the entrance.'
Saturday, December 25, 2010
'Not unusual' for maids to fake their age
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 25 Dec 2010.
'Not unusual' for maids to fake their age
Some come from places with no proper records, say maid agencies
Straits Times, Dec 25, 2010
Photo caption: Nurhayati on her way to court last month to face the murder charge. The revelation that she is 16 means she will not hang if convicted but will be detained indefinitely instead. -- ST FILE PHOTO
IT IS not unusual for maids to fake their ages to work in Singapore, said agencies here.
They have seen some lying about their ages, by about three to five years on average.
It is difficult to determine for sure if the maids are lying because they come from countries which may not keep proper identification records.
For example, it is especially hard to verify the ages of Indonesian maids as many do not have birth certificates.
'When they want to get a passport, they normally just go with their family to the village head to verify their identity,' said Mr P. Chan, the owner of a maid agency with branches in areas like Yio Chu Kang and Upper Bukit Timah.
Ms Shirley Ng, president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore, said the problem has become more prevalent since the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) increased the minimum age requirement of all foreign maids from 18 to 23 in 2005.
The change was based on how older and better-educated maids are more likely to be able to take care of children and elderly people, and to pose fewer problems for their employers.
They would also be better able to adjust to the faster pace of life here.
Among other requirements, maids need at least eight years of formal schooling back home before they can work here.
Ms Ng said maid agencies usually check the birth documents and educational certificates to verify the actual age of the maids. Some interview maids in their home countries to observe their body language and how they look.
Maid agency FME Management is one of them. Its manager, Mr Allan Seow, said: 'We will try to check if she is suitable during the interview, like if she sounds too immature or unprepared, we will send her back.'
If a maid is caught falsely declaring her age, the agency here will be held accountable, and usually faces a penalty of three demerit points meted out by MOM, said Ms Ng.
If an agency chalks up more than 12 points, it will be issued a warning and put on a surveillance list. It may have its licence revoked if it commits further offences.
While agents such as Apple Maid Agency called cases of maids faking their ages 'rare', most said they have heard of the practice.
But even if they suspect a helper has lied about her age, it is hard to prove as her passport may carry a false age.
Mr Chan, who has been in the industry for 10 years, said it is usually up to MOM to sniff out such cases.
Mr Seow also pointed out that the problem exists because it is the younger ones who want to come here to work.
'The older ones who are 25, 26, might not want to come as they want to get married and settle down,' he said.
Apple Maid Agency said it uses school certification to verify ages. Its manager, Ms Suzette Oligo, said that thjavascript:void(0)e agency will look at the certificate to determine the year that the helper went to school and, from there, calculate her real age.
Mr Edmund Pooh of Universal Employment Agency suggested an independent body be set up to verify the age and qualifications of maids here.
'Not unusual' for maids to fake their age
Some come from places with no proper records, say maid agencies
Straits Times, Dec 25, 2010
Photo caption: Nurhayati on her way to court last month to face the murder charge. The revelation that she is 16 means she will not hang if convicted but will be detained indefinitely instead. -- ST FILE PHOTOIT IS not unusual for maids to fake their ages to work in Singapore, said agencies here.
They have seen some lying about their ages, by about three to five years on average.
It is difficult to determine for sure if the maids are lying because they come from countries which may not keep proper identification records.
For example, it is especially hard to verify the ages of Indonesian maids as many do not have birth certificates.
'When they want to get a passport, they normally just go with their family to the village head to verify their identity,' said Mr P. Chan, the owner of a maid agency with branches in areas like Yio Chu Kang and Upper Bukit Timah.
Ms Shirley Ng, president of the Association of Employment Agencies Singapore, said the problem has become more prevalent since the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) increased the minimum age requirement of all foreign maids from 18 to 23 in 2005.
The change was based on how older and better-educated maids are more likely to be able to take care of children and elderly people, and to pose fewer problems for their employers.
They would also be better able to adjust to the faster pace of life here.
Among other requirements, maids need at least eight years of formal schooling back home before they can work here.
Ms Ng said maid agencies usually check the birth documents and educational certificates to verify the actual age of the maids. Some interview maids in their home countries to observe their body language and how they look.
Maid agency FME Management is one of them. Its manager, Mr Allan Seow, said: 'We will try to check if she is suitable during the interview, like if she sounds too immature or unprepared, we will send her back.'
If a maid is caught falsely declaring her age, the agency here will be held accountable, and usually faces a penalty of three demerit points meted out by MOM, said Ms Ng.
If an agency chalks up more than 12 points, it will be issued a warning and put on a surveillance list. It may have its licence revoked if it commits further offences.
While agents such as Apple Maid Agency called cases of maids faking their ages 'rare', most said they have heard of the practice.
But even if they suspect a helper has lied about her age, it is hard to prove as her passport may carry a false age.
Mr Chan, who has been in the industry for 10 years, said it is usually up to MOM to sniff out such cases.
Mr Seow also pointed out that the problem exists because it is the younger ones who want to come here to work.
'The older ones who are 25, 26, might not want to come as they want to get married and settle down,' he said.
Apple Maid Agency said it uses school certification to verify ages. Its manager, Ms Suzette Oligo, said that thjavascript:void(0)e agency will look at the certificate to determine the year that the helper went to school and, from there, calculate her real age.
Mr Edmund Pooh of Universal Employment Agency suggested an independent body be set up to verify the age and qualifications of maids here.
Murder case highlights underage maids issue
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 25 Dec 2010.
Murder case highlights underage maids issue
Maid accused of murder turns out to be just 16, not 24
By Elena Chong
Straits Times, Dec 25, 2010
THE murder charge against an Indonesian maid accused of killing her employer's daughter was amended yesterday to reflect her age as 16 instead of 24 as stated in her travel document.
This latest development in the case of Nurhayati, accused of murdering Linda Lee Yee Lin, 12, who was physically and mentally disabled, raises the question of how she was able to come here to work as a maid.
It will also affect how she is tried and punished if found guilty.
Anyone below 18 convicted of a capital charge will not hang but will be detained at the President's pleasure.
This is a legal term to mean the person will be jailed indefinitely. His conduct and progress will be reviewed periodically and when found suitable for release, a recommendation will be made to the President, who may then direct the release.
Since January 2005, the Ministry of Manpower has required all foreign maids who work here to be at least 23 years old, have eight years of formal schooling and to be literate and numerate.
Nurhayati's lawyer, Mr Mohamed Muzammil Mohamed, who was engaged by the Indonesian Embassy to act for her, found out that she was, in fact, 16.
Interviewed outside the courtroom, he said he had verified her age from her school documents and from talking to her 24-year-old brother.
Yesterday, the prosecution sought a further remand for her to be examined by a psychiatrist, after a three-week remand for psychiatric evaluation.
As she is only 16, she will now be examined by a child psychiatrist.
Maid agency owners said that despite the age ruling, they have heard of cases of maids lying about their age. Most lie about their age by about three to five years, they said.
They added that it is hard to verify their ages given how some do not have proper identification records like birth certificates.
Some maids lie as they feel the minimum age of 23 is too high. They prefer to come and work here when they are younger because they would be thinking of settling down in their mid-20s.
A former state counsel now in private practice said the authenticity of age is very much an issue for people who come from villages because some fake their ages to come to work here.
The lawyer, who did not want to be named, said Nurhayati may face other offences such as false declaration, which could be stood down pending the trial of the most serious offence she faces.
Nurhayati, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, was hired in October to care for her employer's only child, who had a low IQ and attended a special needs school near her home.
On Nov 24, Linda, whose father is a construction company supervisor and mother a sales promoter, was found dead at about 6am at the foot of her HDB block in Hougang Street 51.
Mr Muzammil told reporters that he and embassy officials travelled to Indramayu in West Java last week and spoke to Nurhayati's mother and elder brother.
'They are extremely concerned with the well-being of Nurhayati,' he said.
Her father, a fisherman, who is out at sea on a Taiwanese trawler, does not know about the case. She has three siblings.
He said she finished her primary school education and dropped out after two years in secondary school as her family could not afford it.
Linda's parents were not home when The Straits Times visited their Hougang flat yesterday.
Neighbours who had seen Nurhayati were surprised to learn that she was just 16. They said that while she did not look 24, they thought she was about 20.
Mr Charlie Seah, 53, who lives next door, added: 'It was hard to tell how old she was because her face looked young and she had a small build.'
Additional reporting by Kimberly Spykerman
Murder case highlights underage maids issue
Maid accused of murder turns out to be just 16, not 24
By Elena Chong
Straits Times, Dec 25, 2010
THE murder charge against an Indonesian maid accused of killing her employer's daughter was amended yesterday to reflect her age as 16 instead of 24 as stated in her travel document.
This latest development in the case of Nurhayati, accused of murdering Linda Lee Yee Lin, 12, who was physically and mentally disabled, raises the question of how she was able to come here to work as a maid.
It will also affect how she is tried and punished if found guilty.
Anyone below 18 convicted of a capital charge will not hang but will be detained at the President's pleasure.
This is a legal term to mean the person will be jailed indefinitely. His conduct and progress will be reviewed periodically and when found suitable for release, a recommendation will be made to the President, who may then direct the release.
Since January 2005, the Ministry of Manpower has required all foreign maids who work here to be at least 23 years old, have eight years of formal schooling and to be literate and numerate.
Nurhayati's lawyer, Mr Mohamed Muzammil Mohamed, who was engaged by the Indonesian Embassy to act for her, found out that she was, in fact, 16.
Interviewed outside the courtroom, he said he had verified her age from her school documents and from talking to her 24-year-old brother.
Yesterday, the prosecution sought a further remand for her to be examined by a psychiatrist, after a three-week remand for psychiatric evaluation.
As she is only 16, she will now be examined by a child psychiatrist.
Maid agency owners said that despite the age ruling, they have heard of cases of maids lying about their age. Most lie about their age by about three to five years, they said.
They added that it is hard to verify their ages given how some do not have proper identification records like birth certificates.
Some maids lie as they feel the minimum age of 23 is too high. They prefer to come and work here when they are younger because they would be thinking of settling down in their mid-20s.
A former state counsel now in private practice said the authenticity of age is very much an issue for people who come from villages because some fake their ages to come to work here.
The lawyer, who did not want to be named, said Nurhayati may face other offences such as false declaration, which could be stood down pending the trial of the most serious offence she faces.
Nurhayati, who like many Indonesians goes by one name, was hired in October to care for her employer's only child, who had a low IQ and attended a special needs school near her home.
On Nov 24, Linda, whose father is a construction company supervisor and mother a sales promoter, was found dead at about 6am at the foot of her HDB block in Hougang Street 51.
Mr Muzammil told reporters that he and embassy officials travelled to Indramayu in West Java last week and spoke to Nurhayati's mother and elder brother.
'They are extremely concerned with the well-being of Nurhayati,' he said.
Her father, a fisherman, who is out at sea on a Taiwanese trawler, does not know about the case. She has three siblings.
He said she finished her primary school education and dropped out after two years in secondary school as her family could not afford it.
Linda's parents were not home when The Straits Times visited their Hougang flat yesterday.
Neighbours who had seen Nurhayati were surprised to learn that she was just 16. They said that while she did not look 24, they thought she was about 20.
Mr Charlie Seah, 53, who lives next door, added: 'It was hard to tell how old she was because her face looked young and she had a small build.'
Additional reporting by Kimberly Spykerman
TOC Focus Week: Migrant Workers’ Convention Makes Slow Progress
The following article was posted on The Online Citizen on 25 December 2010.
TOC Focus Week: Migrant Workers’ Convention Makes Slow Progress
By John Gee, for The Online Citizen
December 25, 2010
All but two (193) of the world’s states have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and nearly as many have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In contrast, only 44 have ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (MWC). Time doesn’t explain the big difference: while CEDAW was adopted by the United Nations in 1979, the CRC was adopted in 1989, only a year before the MWC.
The disparity clearly lies in the subject of the conventions and the ease with which states think they can comply with them. There was a high level of consensus on CEDAW and CRC (with a few notable exceptions) from the outset, but the core of MWC support was developing countries whose nationals migrated in large numbers in search of work. No major country of destination – whether among the developed countries or Gulf Cooperation Council members – has signed the MWC so far, but neither have Brazil or most of the states of eastern and southern Africa. The non-signatories also include major centres of labour migration, notably China and India.
Some of the states from which migrants travel to work abroad are said by local migrant rights activists to be so determined to make the most out of remittance income that they are reluctant to do anything to upset host states, including speaking up for their nationals’ rights.
Others would appear to have internal reasons for not seeking to promote migrant workers’ rights; it is hard to argue for decent standards abroad when citizens who migrate within their own country don’t have them. In some cases, parliamentarians and individuals in positions of authority have interests in the existing labour supply companies and networks, and wish to keep systems that allow them to make a great deal of money from migrant workers’ need for assistance to find placements – a need created by state policies and practices. Finally, such states have lobbies of employers who are accustomed to having a supply of low-cost labour to work their land, keep their industries running and provide service in their homes, and who don’t want to pay decent wages or be troubled by issues of rights.
The comprehensive character of the MWC provides for extensive protections for migrant workers, but that has undoubtedly made it harder to find support in countries of destination. Some are dead set against any substantial change in a relationship that they find very advantageous to their economies, in any case, but others see the challenge of bringing their own laws into line with the convention, facing a possible erosion of competitiveness through higher labour costs and confronting likely opposition from their own nationals as reasons for withholding support. This seems to be true of the European Union countries, generally regarded as supportive of other human rights conventions: a 2007 UNESCO report* found that they showed ‘a prevailing sense of vaguely negative indifference, in which genuine concerns are combined with simple misunderstanding; and this, when confronted with a sceptical public and media, has led to the governments of the region generally adopting the path of least resistance.’
It is true that the MWC would, if fully implemented by any country, bring migrant workers close to a position of equal rights and protections with local nationals and its advocates say that this is how it should be. It would not make them fully equal. States of destination that sign the MWC would retain the right to decide who could enter their territory and how long they could stay there. There is an underlying fear in some states that the MWC’s role in providing for workers ‘and members of their families’ would open the way to virtually unlimited entry of workers’ relatives, but the wording of the key article of the convention ( Article 44) on this point leaves states with the power to exercise control over the arrival or settlement of family members. As the 2007 UNESCO report points out: ’states are not obliged to grant, but only to “facilitate” reunification’ of close family members (spouses and children). Secondly ‘and even more importantly, they are only obliged to take such measures “that they deem appropriate” to do so.’
One major difficulty lies in the non-citizen status of most migrant workers in countries of destination. In the case of most other conventions, there was a significant body of citizens who would support their provisions, but in this case, there are often large sections of the population who either see the migrants as a threat or feel that they have an interest in keeping things as they are, with no comparable body of opinion holding an opposing view. Migrants may make vital contributions to their economies and lifestyles, but they usually don’t have a vote and in some countries have an insecure status that doesn’t allow them to organise and lobby strongly for their rights. Migrants’ organizations, where they are able to exist, are often the most effective force in improving the status of their communities and are able to have constructive dialogues with other interested parties and states. Facilitating their existence by abolishing measures that stand in the way (such as bans on organizing and very narrow limits on the residency rights of workers) would make for a more fruitful dialogue between host states and migrants on issues raised by the MWC, without necessarily leading to its easy approval: migrant organizations in Europe and North America function legally and have supported the MWC, but not persuaded states there to back the convention, as already noted.
Implementing the MWC would certainly be challenging for most countries of destination, but a lot already have a fair number of the protections the MWC calls for fully or partially in place; maybe what is needed most is a deeper sense of conviction that migrant workers are entitled to respect for rights that many other people can take for granted – and a sense of urgency in a world that will see more people on the move in search of paid work as climate change and shifts in relative economic strength in the global economy make themselves felt more sharply.
*Euan MacDonald and Ryszard Cholewinski: ‘The Migrant Workers Convention in Europe: Obstacles to the Ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families: EU/EEA Perspectives’, UNESCO, 2007.
John Gee is the President of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2).
TOC Focus Week: Migrant Workers’ Convention Makes Slow Progress
By John Gee, for The Online Citizen
December 25, 2010
All but two (193) of the world’s states have ratified the UN Convention on the Rights of the Child (CRC), and nearly as many have ratified the Convention on the Elimination of All Forms of Discrimination Against Women (CEDAW). In contrast, only 44 have ratified the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families (MWC). Time doesn’t explain the big difference: while CEDAW was adopted by the United Nations in 1979, the CRC was adopted in 1989, only a year before the MWC.
The disparity clearly lies in the subject of the conventions and the ease with which states think they can comply with them. There was a high level of consensus on CEDAW and CRC (with a few notable exceptions) from the outset, but the core of MWC support was developing countries whose nationals migrated in large numbers in search of work. No major country of destination – whether among the developed countries or Gulf Cooperation Council members – has signed the MWC so far, but neither have Brazil or most of the states of eastern and southern Africa. The non-signatories also include major centres of labour migration, notably China and India.
Some of the states from which migrants travel to work abroad are said by local migrant rights activists to be so determined to make the most out of remittance income that they are reluctant to do anything to upset host states, including speaking up for their nationals’ rights.
Others would appear to have internal reasons for not seeking to promote migrant workers’ rights; it is hard to argue for decent standards abroad when citizens who migrate within their own country don’t have them. In some cases, parliamentarians and individuals in positions of authority have interests in the existing labour supply companies and networks, and wish to keep systems that allow them to make a great deal of money from migrant workers’ need for assistance to find placements – a need created by state policies and practices. Finally, such states have lobbies of employers who are accustomed to having a supply of low-cost labour to work their land, keep their industries running and provide service in their homes, and who don’t want to pay decent wages or be troubled by issues of rights.
The comprehensive character of the MWC provides for extensive protections for migrant workers, but that has undoubtedly made it harder to find support in countries of destination. Some are dead set against any substantial change in a relationship that they find very advantageous to their economies, in any case, but others see the challenge of bringing their own laws into line with the convention, facing a possible erosion of competitiveness through higher labour costs and confronting likely opposition from their own nationals as reasons for withholding support. This seems to be true of the European Union countries, generally regarded as supportive of other human rights conventions: a 2007 UNESCO report* found that they showed ‘a prevailing sense of vaguely negative indifference, in which genuine concerns are combined with simple misunderstanding; and this, when confronted with a sceptical public and media, has led to the governments of the region generally adopting the path of least resistance.’
It is true that the MWC would, if fully implemented by any country, bring migrant workers close to a position of equal rights and protections with local nationals and its advocates say that this is how it should be. It would not make them fully equal. States of destination that sign the MWC would retain the right to decide who could enter their territory and how long they could stay there. There is an underlying fear in some states that the MWC’s role in providing for workers ‘and members of their families’ would open the way to virtually unlimited entry of workers’ relatives, but the wording of the key article of the convention ( Article 44) on this point leaves states with the power to exercise control over the arrival or settlement of family members. As the 2007 UNESCO report points out: ’states are not obliged to grant, but only to “facilitate” reunification’ of close family members (spouses and children). Secondly ‘and even more importantly, they are only obliged to take such measures “that they deem appropriate” to do so.’
One major difficulty lies in the non-citizen status of most migrant workers in countries of destination. In the case of most other conventions, there was a significant body of citizens who would support their provisions, but in this case, there are often large sections of the population who either see the migrants as a threat or feel that they have an interest in keeping things as they are, with no comparable body of opinion holding an opposing view. Migrants may make vital contributions to their economies and lifestyles, but they usually don’t have a vote and in some countries have an insecure status that doesn’t allow them to organise and lobby strongly for their rights. Migrants’ organizations, where they are able to exist, are often the most effective force in improving the status of their communities and are able to have constructive dialogues with other interested parties and states. Facilitating their existence by abolishing measures that stand in the way (such as bans on organizing and very narrow limits on the residency rights of workers) would make for a more fruitful dialogue between host states and migrants on issues raised by the MWC, without necessarily leading to its easy approval: migrant organizations in Europe and North America function legally and have supported the MWC, but not persuaded states there to back the convention, as already noted.
Implementing the MWC would certainly be challenging for most countries of destination, but a lot already have a fair number of the protections the MWC calls for fully or partially in place; maybe what is needed most is a deeper sense of conviction that migrant workers are entitled to respect for rights that many other people can take for granted – and a sense of urgency in a world that will see more people on the move in search of paid work as climate change and shifts in relative economic strength in the global economy make themselves felt more sharply.
*Euan MacDonald and Ryszard Cholewinski: ‘The Migrant Workers Convention in Europe: Obstacles to the Ratification of the International Convention on the Protection of the Rights of All Migrant Workers and Members of Their Families: EU/EEA Perspectives’, UNESCO, 2007.
John Gee is the President of Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2).
Thursday, December 23, 2010
Indonesian tourists need not worry about Customs tax
The following article was published by the Straits Times on 23 Dec 2010.
Indonesian tourists need not worry about Customs tax
It's targeted at traders who try to avoid import duties
By Melissa Kok
Straits Times, Dec 23, 2010
Photo caption: Indonesian maids like Ms Nurifahare being offered cash to take goods home.
INDONESIANS coming to Singapore to shop need not be overly worried that they will be taxed on their purchases when they go home, the Indonesian Embassy clarified yesterday.
Indonesia's move to toughen enforcement of Customs rules is not targeted at tourists, said Mr Iskandar Perdiga, the embassy's Customs attache.
Instead, it is aimed at Indonesian merchants trying to avoid paying import duties by smuggling in tradeable goods via personal travel.
It is also meant to address an emerging problem in Singapore: returning Indonesian maids are being bribed to smuggle goods in for these merchants.
The Straits Times reported yesterday that Indonesian citizens and permanent residents returning from overseas from Jan 1 will have to pay taxes on purchases if they spend more than US$250 (S$330) a person, or US$1,000 a family.
The tax is aimed at curbing the spike in overseas-made goods entering the country.
Mr Perdiga noted that the US$250 cap on tax-free purchases has been around for the past 10 years, but the rules were reissued in late October to make them 'more effective'.
He told The Straits Times that the rules were not targeted at returning Indonesian tourists who have bought, say, a branded bag for themselves.
'If you wear it, and it seems like normal personal belongings, it's okay,' he said.
But if tourists bring in more than one of the same item, they 'may be asked to show the invoice and pay taxes'.
The bigger problem is that Indonesian maids in Singapore returning home for a holiday or for good are being offered about $50 by fellow Indonesians to bring in items such as laptops and mobile phones.
Mr Perdiga said this trend emerged about six months ago. 'We noticed that, somehow, Indonesians have knowledge of these foreign domestic workers returning home, and have approached them at Changi Airport to bring in luxury items in big quantities,' he said.
Once the maids touch down in Jakarta, another person will meet them at the airport to pick up the merchandise, he added.
As these items will not be declared, import duties do not have to be paid.
As to how the rules will be enforced in Indonesia, Mr Perdiga said that Customs officers will specifically look out for Indonesians carrying 'goods in brand-new condition and in a quantity of more than one'.
While there are no penalties for bringing in the goods undeclared, import duties would have to be paid, which could range from 5 per cent to 20 per cent.
It is understood that luxury items such as branded handbags can cost between 10 per cent and 30 per cent less in Singapore.
For example, a new 16GB iPhone 4 costs about $1,300 in Indonesia and about $1,000 here.
News of the tightened rules had left Indonesian tourists and those living here puzzled, with them querying the Indonesian Embassy on the changes and how they would be affected.
Mr Perdiga said the embassy would be updating Indonesian associations and travel agencies on the new regulations.
Ms Nurifah, an Indonesian maid, said that in April, she was approached by a well-dressed Indonesian couple at the HarbourFront Ferry Terminal to take a bag of what appeared to be clothes to Batam for them.
'They asked me if I was going home or on holiday, and then offered me $100 to help them bring a bag of items to Batam. I said no, because I didn't know what was in the bag, and I was scared it was drugs,' said the 42-year-old, who was going back home to Medan for a holiday.
But Ms Nurifah, who is also founder of the Indonesian Family Network, a support group that runs a helpline for troubled maids, added that other maids might be tempted. 'Some are very honest, and will just want to help and take the money without knowing the dangers,' she said.
Indonesian tourists need not worry about Customs tax
It's targeted at traders who try to avoid import duties
By Melissa Kok
Straits Times, Dec 23, 2010
Photo caption: Indonesian maids like Ms Nurifahare being offered cash to take goods home.INDONESIANS coming to Singapore to shop need not be overly worried that they will be taxed on their purchases when they go home, the Indonesian Embassy clarified yesterday.
Indonesia's move to toughen enforcement of Customs rules is not targeted at tourists, said Mr Iskandar Perdiga, the embassy's Customs attache.
Instead, it is aimed at Indonesian merchants trying to avoid paying import duties by smuggling in tradeable goods via personal travel.
It is also meant to address an emerging problem in Singapore: returning Indonesian maids are being bribed to smuggle goods in for these merchants.
The Straits Times reported yesterday that Indonesian citizens and permanent residents returning from overseas from Jan 1 will have to pay taxes on purchases if they spend more than US$250 (S$330) a person, or US$1,000 a family.
The tax is aimed at curbing the spike in overseas-made goods entering the country.
Mr Perdiga noted that the US$250 cap on tax-free purchases has been around for the past 10 years, but the rules were reissued in late October to make them 'more effective'.
He told The Straits Times that the rules were not targeted at returning Indonesian tourists who have bought, say, a branded bag for themselves.
'If you wear it, and it seems like normal personal belongings, it's okay,' he said.
But if tourists bring in more than one of the same item, they 'may be asked to show the invoice and pay taxes'.
The bigger problem is that Indonesian maids in Singapore returning home for a holiday or for good are being offered about $50 by fellow Indonesians to bring in items such as laptops and mobile phones.
Mr Perdiga said this trend emerged about six months ago. 'We noticed that, somehow, Indonesians have knowledge of these foreign domestic workers returning home, and have approached them at Changi Airport to bring in luxury items in big quantities,' he said.
Once the maids touch down in Jakarta, another person will meet them at the airport to pick up the merchandise, he added.
As these items will not be declared, import duties do not have to be paid.
As to how the rules will be enforced in Indonesia, Mr Perdiga said that Customs officers will specifically look out for Indonesians carrying 'goods in brand-new condition and in a quantity of more than one'.
While there are no penalties for bringing in the goods undeclared, import duties would have to be paid, which could range from 5 per cent to 20 per cent.
It is understood that luxury items such as branded handbags can cost between 10 per cent and 30 per cent less in Singapore.
For example, a new 16GB iPhone 4 costs about $1,300 in Indonesia and about $1,000 here.
News of the tightened rules had left Indonesian tourists and those living here puzzled, with them querying the Indonesian Embassy on the changes and how they would be affected.
Mr Perdiga said the embassy would be updating Indonesian associations and travel agencies on the new regulations.
Ms Nurifah, an Indonesian maid, said that in April, she was approached by a well-dressed Indonesian couple at the HarbourFront Ferry Terminal to take a bag of what appeared to be clothes to Batam for them.
'They asked me if I was going home or on holiday, and then offered me $100 to help them bring a bag of items to Batam. I said no, because I didn't know what was in the bag, and I was scared it was drugs,' said the 42-year-old, who was going back home to Medan for a holiday.
But Ms Nurifah, who is also founder of the Indonesian Family Network, a support group that runs a helpline for troubled maids, added that other maids might be tempted. 'Some are very honest, and will just want to help and take the money without knowing the dangers,' she said.
Sub-contractor made false claim to MOM
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 23 Dec 2010.
Sub-contractor made false claim to MOM
Straits Times, Dec 23, 2010
A SUB-CONTRACTOR was jailed yesterday for making a false declaration to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) so she could renew the work permits of her foreign workers.
Nah Lee Guan, 56, pleaded guilty to lying to MOM officers in 2005 that her company, Scarbo Construction Contractor, had been awarded a contract by construction company Magdecon Projects.
In fact, her company had never dealt with Magdecon.
Investigations showed that she wanted to exploit the Man-Year Entitlement (MYE) system, which sets a quota for the number of foreign workers on construction projects.
By falsely declaring that she had projects with Magdecon, she could renew the work permits of her existing workers.
For her offence, Nah was jailed for four weeks.
She is one of three contractors who have been jailed for similar offences since October.
The other two were Narayanan Nair Nalini Devi, 59, and Chua Loke Hwa, 52, who were also jailed for four weeks each, on Dec 17 and Oct 15 respectively.
Six others have been charged with making similar false declarations to renew the work permits of their foreign workers.
This is the first time that MOM is taking rogue contractors to task for abusing the quota system.
The punishment for doing so is a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or six months' jail.
The quota system was introduced in 1998 to control the number of foreign workers in the construction sector.
Commenting on the latest convictions, Mr Aw Kum Cheong, MOM's divisional director of its foreign manpower management division, said the 'blatant exploitation of the MYE scheme will not be tolerated'.
Sub-contractor made false claim to MOM
Straits Times, Dec 23, 2010
A SUB-CONTRACTOR was jailed yesterday for making a false declaration to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) so she could renew the work permits of her foreign workers.
Nah Lee Guan, 56, pleaded guilty to lying to MOM officers in 2005 that her company, Scarbo Construction Contractor, had been awarded a contract by construction company Magdecon Projects.
In fact, her company had never dealt with Magdecon.
Investigations showed that she wanted to exploit the Man-Year Entitlement (MYE) system, which sets a quota for the number of foreign workers on construction projects.
By falsely declaring that she had projects with Magdecon, she could renew the work permits of her existing workers.
For her offence, Nah was jailed for four weeks.
She is one of three contractors who have been jailed for similar offences since October.
The other two were Narayanan Nair Nalini Devi, 59, and Chua Loke Hwa, 52, who were also jailed for four weeks each, on Dec 17 and Oct 15 respectively.
Six others have been charged with making similar false declarations to renew the work permits of their foreign workers.
This is the first time that MOM is taking rogue contractors to task for abusing the quota system.
The punishment for doing so is a maximum fine of $5,000 and/or six months' jail.
The quota system was introduced in 1998 to control the number of foreign workers in the construction sector.
Commenting on the latest convictions, Mr Aw Kum Cheong, MOM's divisional director of its foreign manpower management division, said the 'blatant exploitation of the MYE scheme will not be tolerated'.
Wednesday, December 22, 2010
Indonesian maids target of new phone card scam
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 22 Dec 2010.
Indonesian maids target of new phone card scam
By Elizabeth Soh
Straits Times, Dec 22, 2010
CON men behind phone lottery scams aimed at cash-strapped Indonesian maids in Singapore have found a new way to fleece their targets.
Previously, they posed as employees of established companies in Malaysia and Indonesia and sent texts congratulating the maids on winning the lottery.
The victims were then asked to transfer money to these supposed companies' bank accounts as 'administration' fees before the winnings could be released. However, since February, the con men have changed tack.
Instead of asking victims for the fees, they now ask them to buy phone cards sold here but usable only in Indonesia, and then reveal the cards' PIN, or personal identification numbers.
With these numbers, the con men can access the cards' stored value. They can either use them to make telephone calls or resell them. The most common denomination is 50,000 rupiah (S$7).
Police say the fraudsters' new method surfaced in August.
Indonesian maid Susilawati, 25, recently lost more than $500 in the scam.
Ms Susilawati received a text on Dec 11 telling her she had won $9,000. She called back and was told by a man claiming to work for Indonesian television station MNCtv that she had won an extra $70,000 and would need to transfer $700 to claim her prize.
When she said she had no money, she was told to buy nine SIM-Pati Indonesian top-up cards worth 50,000 rupiah each and send him the PIN. She agreed.
But the man continued to harass her for money. She purchased another 50 cards and sent the PIN to him, spending over $500 on the top-up cards in all. She has since made a police report and investigations are ongoing.
Indonesian maids say the scam began at the start of the year when Indonesia's telcos started selling their cards here as a way for domestic workers to help family members contact them.
'I bought these cards for my brother back in Yogjakarta... A few days later, I received the fake lottery win SMS,' said Ms Hayati Suleiman, 39. She ignored it on the advice of her employer.
Police advise the public to ignore any text messages or calls notifying them of a win in a foreign lottery.
Indonesian maids target of new phone card scam
By Elizabeth Soh
Straits Times, Dec 22, 2010
CON men behind phone lottery scams aimed at cash-strapped Indonesian maids in Singapore have found a new way to fleece their targets.
Previously, they posed as employees of established companies in Malaysia and Indonesia and sent texts congratulating the maids on winning the lottery.
The victims were then asked to transfer money to these supposed companies' bank accounts as 'administration' fees before the winnings could be released. However, since February, the con men have changed tack.
Instead of asking victims for the fees, they now ask them to buy phone cards sold here but usable only in Indonesia, and then reveal the cards' PIN, or personal identification numbers.
With these numbers, the con men can access the cards' stored value. They can either use them to make telephone calls or resell them. The most common denomination is 50,000 rupiah (S$7).
Police say the fraudsters' new method surfaced in August.
Indonesian maid Susilawati, 25, recently lost more than $500 in the scam.
Ms Susilawati received a text on Dec 11 telling her she had won $9,000. She called back and was told by a man claiming to work for Indonesian television station MNCtv that she had won an extra $70,000 and would need to transfer $700 to claim her prize.
When she said she had no money, she was told to buy nine SIM-Pati Indonesian top-up cards worth 50,000 rupiah each and send him the PIN. She agreed.
But the man continued to harass her for money. She purchased another 50 cards and sent the PIN to him, spending over $500 on the top-up cards in all. She has since made a police report and investigations are ongoing.
Indonesian maids say the scam began at the start of the year when Indonesia's telcos started selling their cards here as a way for domestic workers to help family members contact them.
'I bought these cards for my brother back in Yogjakarta... A few days later, I received the fake lottery win SMS,' said Ms Hayati Suleiman, 39. She ignored it on the advice of her employer.
Police advise the public to ignore any text messages or calls notifying them of a win in a foreign lottery.
Where will we find more service staff?
The following article was published in TODAY on 22 Dec 2010.
Where will we find more service staff?
Flood of jobs in sector, but locals' skills, productivity and education trends lagging
by Richard Hartung
0TODAY, Dec 22, 2010
Photo caption: Many Singaporeans are unwilling to take on what they view as lower-level, poorly-paid service positions. REUTERS
The services sector in Singapore is powering ahead. Whereas services lagged behind manufacturing in the second quarter, the Monetary Authority of Singapore now forecasts that it could well expand from half of gross domestic product in 2010 to two-thirds next year.
That growth is powering increases in jobs, too. Analyst Irvin Seah from DBS said recently that "about 104,000 new jobs out of a total job creation of 140,000 will come from the services sector in 2011".
That job growth comes from several industries. Recruitment firm Robert Walters said financial services would "continue to fuel the most hiring activity" among professionals. Mr Seah noted that economic growth was "primarily driven by the contributions of gaming revenues from the two IRs", which means employment of lower-skilled workers in the hospitality sector is also expanding.
Even though job growth is strong, the trends create a conundrum. The shift to such a large services sector may have been faster than expected, and there simply aren't enough people here to meet the demand. Equally - or more - important, workers may not have the right skills for the new jobs.
For years, tertiary institutions have churned out engineers and technicians. Even now, more than 30 per cent of all diploma and university students, and nearly half of the male students, study engineering.
Experienced workers may not have the right skills for the high-growth services sector either. Training even a small percentage of the 625,500 technicians, craftsmen and machine operators here - over a third of the resident workforce - to shift to the services sector would take time.
And as has been remarked by observers and industry players alike, mindsets are such that Singaporeans tend to shun a variety of services jobs, like those in F&B. While a job as a high-flying private banker may be fine, working as a housekeeper or cleaner is a different issue.
The real dilemma, then, is where Singapore is going to get enough workers with the right skills.
One option is simply to keep increasing the number of foreigners. The hospitality, services and construction industries continued to see a shortage of Singaporean workers this year as the economy boomed. In August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore could perhaps "get by" with 80,000 foreign workers this year.
It remains to be seen if a similar number will be enough to help fill the 140,000 total job openings next year. In the longer run, there may not be enough space to keep bringing in more foreigners indefinitely, and the Government has promised to slow the influx.
So a second option, then, is to increase productivity more quickly. The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) noted earlier this year that Singapore's productivity in manufacturing and services was 55 to 65 per cent of that in the United States and Japan, respectively. While productivity in Hong Kong's services sector grew 3.1 per cent per year over the last decade, the ESC only set a target of 2- to 3-per-cent productivity growth. While that's faster than 1 per cent previously, it's hardly enough for Singapore to catch up to other countries.
A higher goal and the support to match it may be needed. As managing director Michael Teng from the Corporate Turnaround Centre told SPRING Singapore: "Perhaps we can learn from the two small nations, namely Sweden and Israel, which do not rely on foreign workers domestically."
Related to productivity is shifting the focus of education. Although engineering graduates could well end up working in the services sector, educating more students in areas that power the sector's growth, as well as teaching them to keep learning in an ever-changing environment, could be the changes that are needed. Experienced workers also could benefit more from focused retraining in service sector skills, rather than in higher-level technical skills.
In addition, tweaks in regulation and mindset regarding lower-paid workers seems critical. Let me cite one netizen who posted on the Reach portal, arguing that the key issues in lower-level service jobs include a "lack of health and safety safeguards, extremely poor pay, unbearable working conditions, overly long hours, and social stigmatisation".
In October, a series of letters in this newspaper expressed similar concerns over the working conditions for cleaners. Better regulations on health and safety as well as employment terms and hours could really make a difference.
Making the transformation to an economy driven by the services sector and employing more residents in services will take significant changes. Those recommended by the ESC are a good start - though it looks like these changes may need to be bigger and faster than had been perhaps foreseen and planned for.
The writer is a consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992.
Where will we find more service staff?
Flood of jobs in sector, but locals' skills, productivity and education trends lagging
by Richard Hartung
0TODAY, Dec 22, 2010
Photo caption: Many Singaporeans are unwilling to take on what they view as lower-level, poorly-paid service positions. REUTERSThe services sector in Singapore is powering ahead. Whereas services lagged behind manufacturing in the second quarter, the Monetary Authority of Singapore now forecasts that it could well expand from half of gross domestic product in 2010 to two-thirds next year.
That growth is powering increases in jobs, too. Analyst Irvin Seah from DBS said recently that "about 104,000 new jobs out of a total job creation of 140,000 will come from the services sector in 2011".
That job growth comes from several industries. Recruitment firm Robert Walters said financial services would "continue to fuel the most hiring activity" among professionals. Mr Seah noted that economic growth was "primarily driven by the contributions of gaming revenues from the two IRs", which means employment of lower-skilled workers in the hospitality sector is also expanding.
Even though job growth is strong, the trends create a conundrum. The shift to such a large services sector may have been faster than expected, and there simply aren't enough people here to meet the demand. Equally - or more - important, workers may not have the right skills for the new jobs.
For years, tertiary institutions have churned out engineers and technicians. Even now, more than 30 per cent of all diploma and university students, and nearly half of the male students, study engineering.
Experienced workers may not have the right skills for the high-growth services sector either. Training even a small percentage of the 625,500 technicians, craftsmen and machine operators here - over a third of the resident workforce - to shift to the services sector would take time.
And as has been remarked by observers and industry players alike, mindsets are such that Singaporeans tend to shun a variety of services jobs, like those in F&B. While a job as a high-flying private banker may be fine, working as a housekeeper or cleaner is a different issue.
The real dilemma, then, is where Singapore is going to get enough workers with the right skills.
One option is simply to keep increasing the number of foreigners. The hospitality, services and construction industries continued to see a shortage of Singaporean workers this year as the economy boomed. In August, Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong said Singapore could perhaps "get by" with 80,000 foreign workers this year.
It remains to be seen if a similar number will be enough to help fill the 140,000 total job openings next year. In the longer run, there may not be enough space to keep bringing in more foreigners indefinitely, and the Government has promised to slow the influx.
So a second option, then, is to increase productivity more quickly. The Economic Strategies Committee (ESC) noted earlier this year that Singapore's productivity in manufacturing and services was 55 to 65 per cent of that in the United States and Japan, respectively. While productivity in Hong Kong's services sector grew 3.1 per cent per year over the last decade, the ESC only set a target of 2- to 3-per-cent productivity growth. While that's faster than 1 per cent previously, it's hardly enough for Singapore to catch up to other countries.
A higher goal and the support to match it may be needed. As managing director Michael Teng from the Corporate Turnaround Centre told SPRING Singapore: "Perhaps we can learn from the two small nations, namely Sweden and Israel, which do not rely on foreign workers domestically."
Related to productivity is shifting the focus of education. Although engineering graduates could well end up working in the services sector, educating more students in areas that power the sector's growth, as well as teaching them to keep learning in an ever-changing environment, could be the changes that are needed. Experienced workers also could benefit more from focused retraining in service sector skills, rather than in higher-level technical skills.
In addition, tweaks in regulation and mindset regarding lower-paid workers seems critical. Let me cite one netizen who posted on the Reach portal, arguing that the key issues in lower-level service jobs include a "lack of health and safety safeguards, extremely poor pay, unbearable working conditions, overly long hours, and social stigmatisation".
In October, a series of letters in this newspaper expressed similar concerns over the working conditions for cleaners. Better regulations on health and safety as well as employment terms and hours could really make a difference.
Making the transformation to an economy driven by the services sector and employing more residents in services will take significant changes. Those recommended by the ESC are a good start - though it looks like these changes may need to be bigger and faster than had been perhaps foreseen and planned for.
The writer is a consultant who has lived in Singapore since 1992.
Indonesian maids target of new phone card scam
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 22 Dec 2010.
Indonesian maids target of new phone card scam
By Elizabeth Soh
Straits Times, Dec 22, 2010
CON men behind phone lottery scams aimed at cash-strapped Indonesian maids in Singapore have found a new way to fleece their targets.
Previously, they posed as employees of established companies in Malaysia and Indonesia and sent texts congratulating the maids on winning the lottery.
The victims were then asked to transfer money to these supposed companies' bank accounts as 'administration' fees before the winnings could be released. However, since February, the con men have changed tack.
Instead of asking victims for the fees, they now ask them to buy phone cards sold here but usable only in Indonesia, and then reveal the cards' PIN, or personal identification numbers.
With these numbers, the con men can access the cards' stored value. They can either use them to make telephone calls or resell them. The most common denomination is 50,000 rupiah (S$7).
Police say the fraudsters' new method surfaced in August.
Indonesian maid Susilawati, 25, recently lost more than $500 in the scam.
Ms Susilawati received a text on Dec 11 telling her she had won $9,000. She called back and was told by a man claiming to work for Indonesian television station MNCtv that she had won an extra $70,000 and would need to transfer $700 to claim her prize.
When she said she had no money, she was told to buy nine SIM-Pati Indonesian top-up cards worth 50,000 rupiah each and send him the PIN. She agreed.
But the man continued to harass her for money. She purchased another 50 cards and sent the PIN to him, spending over $500 on the top-up cards in all. She has since made a police report and investigations are ongoing.
Indonesian maids say the scam began at the start of the year when Indonesia's telcos started selling their cards here as a way for domestic workers to help family members contact them.
'I bought these cards for my brother back in Yogjakarta... A few days later, I received the fake lottery win SMS,' said Ms Hayati Suleiman, 39. She ignored it on the advice of her employer.
Police advise the public to ignore any text messages or calls notifying them of a win in a foreign lottery.
Indonesian maids target of new phone card scam
By Elizabeth Soh
Straits Times, Dec 22, 2010
CON men behind phone lottery scams aimed at cash-strapped Indonesian maids in Singapore have found a new way to fleece their targets.
Previously, they posed as employees of established companies in Malaysia and Indonesia and sent texts congratulating the maids on winning the lottery.
The victims were then asked to transfer money to these supposed companies' bank accounts as 'administration' fees before the winnings could be released. However, since February, the con men have changed tack.
Instead of asking victims for the fees, they now ask them to buy phone cards sold here but usable only in Indonesia, and then reveal the cards' PIN, or personal identification numbers.
With these numbers, the con men can access the cards' stored value. They can either use them to make telephone calls or resell them. The most common denomination is 50,000 rupiah (S$7).
Police say the fraudsters' new method surfaced in August.
Indonesian maid Susilawati, 25, recently lost more than $500 in the scam.
Ms Susilawati received a text on Dec 11 telling her she had won $9,000. She called back and was told by a man claiming to work for Indonesian television station MNCtv that she had won an extra $70,000 and would need to transfer $700 to claim her prize.
When she said she had no money, she was told to buy nine SIM-Pati Indonesian top-up cards worth 50,000 rupiah each and send him the PIN. She agreed.
But the man continued to harass her for money. She purchased another 50 cards and sent the PIN to him, spending over $500 on the top-up cards in all. She has since made a police report and investigations are ongoing.
Indonesian maids say the scam began at the start of the year when Indonesia's telcos started selling their cards here as a way for domestic workers to help family members contact them.
'I bought these cards for my brother back in Yogjakarta... A few days later, I received the fake lottery win SMS,' said Ms Hayati Suleiman, 39. She ignored it on the advice of her employer.
Police advise the public to ignore any text messages or calls notifying them of a win in a foreign lottery.
Monday, December 20, 2010
Foreign workers take centre stage
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 20 Dec 2010.
Foreign workers take centre stage
Talent contest at Marina Bay platform marks International Migrants Day
By Elizabeth Soh
Straits Times, Dec 20, 2010
Photo caption: Indian national Karu Gajarathi Raju (right) reacting with joy when he was pronounced the winner yesterday. His compatriot Kolimala Sattibabu (left) came in second. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIM
HE TOILS nameless and unheralded under the tropical sun during the rest of the year, one among thousands of foreign workers in Singapore.
But yesterday, Mr Karu Gajarathi Raju's name rang out from the stage at The Float@Marina Bay, when he was announced the winner of Singapore's first-ever Migrant Workers Talent Quest.
About 12,000 migrant workers and Singaporeans cheered as Mr Raju, a 32-year-old safety supervisor with Hiap Seng Engineering, sang an old Bollywood song to win $3,000 in prize money.
The 10-finalist event was part of the biggest celebration of migrant rights ever held in Singapore.
'We wanted a venue big enough to hold 12,000 to 15,000 spectators, and also one that is symbolic - to recognise the contributions of migrant workers,' said Mr Bernard Menon, manager of non-governmental organisation Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), on the choice of venue.
He added it was symbolic of the country's deep appreciation for these workers that the event was held in a place which has hosted important events like the National Day Parade and the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony.
MWC organised the event to mark International Migrants Day, which fell on Saturday and is meant to cherish the rights and freedoms of migrants.
'I am very nervous, but very happy to be given a chance to perform,' said finalist Saw Donay Moo, 25, a shipyard worker from Myanmar, who performed a Myanmar version of John Mellencamp's Hurts So Good.
Said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Health Hawazi Daipi, who was guest of honour at the event: 'This is one way for us to show that we appreciate what they have done and what they have contributed to Singapore's economy and society.'
The organisers spread word of the contest through trade unions, employers, dormitories and advertisements in Tamil and Chinese papers.
About 200 of Mr Raju's friends from Soon Lee Dormitories came down to Marina Bay to support him. Before he came to Singapore, he was a radio jockey in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The song he sang, a melody from the 1970s by famous Indian playback singer Kishore Kumar, was from the film Aradhana. It means 'to offer homage'.
Foreign workers take centre stage
Talent contest at Marina Bay platform marks International Migrants Day
By Elizabeth Soh
Straits Times, Dec 20, 2010
Photo caption: Indian national Karu Gajarathi Raju (right) reacting with joy when he was pronounced the winner yesterday. His compatriot Kolimala Sattibabu (left) came in second. -- ST PHOTO: DESMOND LIMHE TOILS nameless and unheralded under the tropical sun during the rest of the year, one among thousands of foreign workers in Singapore.
But yesterday, Mr Karu Gajarathi Raju's name rang out from the stage at The Float@Marina Bay, when he was announced the winner of Singapore's first-ever Migrant Workers Talent Quest.
About 12,000 migrant workers and Singaporeans cheered as Mr Raju, a 32-year-old safety supervisor with Hiap Seng Engineering, sang an old Bollywood song to win $3,000 in prize money.
The 10-finalist event was part of the biggest celebration of migrant rights ever held in Singapore.
'We wanted a venue big enough to hold 12,000 to 15,000 spectators, and also one that is symbolic - to recognise the contributions of migrant workers,' said Mr Bernard Menon, manager of non-governmental organisation Migrant Workers Centre (MWC), on the choice of venue.
He added it was symbolic of the country's deep appreciation for these workers that the event was held in a place which has hosted important events like the National Day Parade and the Youth Olympic Games opening ceremony.
MWC organised the event to mark International Migrants Day, which fell on Saturday and is meant to cherish the rights and freedoms of migrants.
'I am very nervous, but very happy to be given a chance to perform,' said finalist Saw Donay Moo, 25, a shipyard worker from Myanmar, who performed a Myanmar version of John Mellencamp's Hurts So Good.
Said Senior Parliamentary Secretary for Manpower and Health Hawazi Daipi, who was guest of honour at the event: 'This is one way for us to show that we appreciate what they have done and what they have contributed to Singapore's economy and society.'
The organisers spread word of the contest through trade unions, employers, dormitories and advertisements in Tamil and Chinese papers.
About 200 of Mr Raju's friends from Soon Lee Dormitories came down to Marina Bay to support him. Before he came to Singapore, he was a radio jockey in Andhra Pradesh, India.
The song he sang, a melody from the 1970s by famous Indian playback singer Kishore Kumar, was from the film Aradhana. It means 'to offer homage'.
In celebration of International Migrants' Day
The following article was published by TODAY on 20 Dec 2010.
In celebration of International Migrants' Day
TODAY, Dec 20, 2010
Photo caption: The audience dancing to a performance at the Migrant Workers Talent Quest held at the Float @ Marina Bay. Photo by DON WONG
SINGAPORE - This year, the Migrant Workers Centre celebrated International Migrants' Day with a talent contest.
International Migrants' Day was last Saturday. And yesterday, 10 finalists of the Migrant Workers Talent Quest, all champions at their dormitory-level preliminary rounds, performed at the Float @Marina Bay.
Some contestants gave highly energetic dance performances, while others slowed it down to more soulful tunes. All the finalists were awarded with cash prizes.
The 12,000-strong audience of migrant workers were also entertained by cultural dance items as the celebrations centred on the two themes of social integration and recognition of migrant workers' contributions to the economy and society.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Manpower) Hawazi Daipi, who was guest-of-honour, said such activities can help migrant workers and Singaporeans better understand each other in the community and workplace.
The Migrant Workers Centre, a joint initiative between the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, is planning a series of events next year that targets the living and working conditions of migrant workers.
In celebration of International Migrants' Day
TODAY, Dec 20, 2010
Photo caption: The audience dancing to a performance at the Migrant Workers Talent Quest held at the Float @ Marina Bay. Photo by DON WONGSINGAPORE - This year, the Migrant Workers Centre celebrated International Migrants' Day with a talent contest.
International Migrants' Day was last Saturday. And yesterday, 10 finalists of the Migrant Workers Talent Quest, all champions at their dormitory-level preliminary rounds, performed at the Float @Marina Bay.
Some contestants gave highly energetic dance performances, while others slowed it down to more soulful tunes. All the finalists were awarded with cash prizes.
The 12,000-strong audience of migrant workers were also entertained by cultural dance items as the celebrations centred on the two themes of social integration and recognition of migrant workers' contributions to the economy and society.
Senior Parliamentary Secretary (Manpower) Hawazi Daipi, who was guest-of-honour, said such activities can help migrant workers and Singaporeans better understand each other in the community and workplace.
The Migrant Workers Centre, a joint initiative between the National Trades Union Congress and the Singapore National Employers Federation, is planning a series of events next year that targets the living and working conditions of migrant workers.
Sunday, December 19, 2010
Worker saved from burning crane
The following article was published in the Straits Times on 19 Dec 2010.
Worker saved from burning crane
Straits Times, Dec 19, 2010
Photo caption: A small portion of one of the iconic fingers on the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum was charred black by last evening's fire, but it is not expected to delay the building's planned opening on Feb 17. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJAN
A worker was rescued from a burning crane by his colleagues last evening after a fire broke out at the construction site of the ArtScience Museum.
He was standing on the crane platform, putting the finishing touches on the panels that cover the facade of the building, when the blaze started beside him.
He leapt onto the arm supporting the platform, said museum director Tom Zaller.
Workers went up on a separate rescue crane and plucked the man off the burning crane. He was unhurt.
Another witness, a Bangladeshi construction worker, said the flames were up to 3m high and lasted 10 to 15 minutes. He said the construction supervisor and the safety manager went up on a crane and put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force received a call at 6.30pm and arrived at the scene seven minutes later. By then, the fire had already been put out. It is still investigating the cause of the blaze.
About 10 per cent of one of the iconic fingers on the lotus-shaped building has been charred black.
Work at the Marina Bay Sands site was ordered to stop until the investigation is over, and all workers were sent home for the night.
Mr Zaller does not foresee a delay to the museum's planned opening on Feb 17.
'We can replace the damaged part with new polymer panels. This shouldn't affect our plans,' he said.
Worker saved from burning crane
Straits Times, Dec 19, 2010
Photo caption: A small portion of one of the iconic fingers on the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum was charred black by last evening's fire, but it is not expected to delay the building's planned opening on Feb 17. -- ST PHOTO: RAJ NADARAJANA worker was rescued from a burning crane by his colleagues last evening after a fire broke out at the construction site of the ArtScience Museum.
He was standing on the crane platform, putting the finishing touches on the panels that cover the facade of the building, when the blaze started beside him.
He leapt onto the arm supporting the platform, said museum director Tom Zaller.
Workers went up on a separate rescue crane and plucked the man off the burning crane. He was unhurt.
Another witness, a Bangladeshi construction worker, said the flames were up to 3m high and lasted 10 to 15 minutes. He said the construction supervisor and the safety manager went up on a crane and put out the flames with a fire extinguisher.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force received a call at 6.30pm and arrived at the scene seven minutes later. By then, the fire had already been put out. It is still investigating the cause of the blaze.
About 10 per cent of one of the iconic fingers on the lotus-shaped building has been charred black.
Work at the Marina Bay Sands site was ordered to stop until the investigation is over, and all workers were sent home for the night.
Mr Zaller does not foresee a delay to the museum's planned opening on Feb 17.
'We can replace the damaged part with new polymer panels. This shouldn't affect our plans,' he said.
Worker saved from burning crane at Marina Bay Sands
The following article was published by on Sun, Dec 19, 2010
Worker saved from burning crane at Marina Bay Sands
AsiaOne, 19 Dec 2010
A fire broke out at the construction site of the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands last evening.
A worker was standing on a crane platform, painting the facade of the building when the blaze started beside him, reported the Straits Times. He leapt onto the arm supporting the platform, before workers went on a separate crane to rescue him.
The man was unhurt.
Pictures sent in to citizen journalism website, STOMP, showed the crane's cradle engulfed in flames, while one of the iconic fingers on the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum was charred black.
In her email, the reader wrote: "The fire spread to the building and blackened the white wall of the lotus-shaped museum.
"I snapped the pictures at 6.39pm, according to my phone time, and I noticed no one was putting out the fire.
"The workers were just watching it."
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call at 6.30pm about the fire and arrived at the scene seven minutes later. The fire had already been put out by then.
When contacted by STOMP, the SCDF said the facade of the Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum which is undergoing construction was on fire. The cause of the fire is unknown.
Worker saved from burning crane at Marina Bay Sands
AsiaOne, 19 Dec 2010
A fire broke out at the construction site of the ArtScience Museum at the Marina Bay Sands last evening.
A worker was standing on a crane platform, painting the facade of the building when the blaze started beside him, reported the Straits Times. He leapt onto the arm supporting the platform, before workers went on a separate crane to rescue him.
The man was unhurt.
Pictures sent in to citizen journalism website, STOMP, showed the crane's cradle engulfed in flames, while one of the iconic fingers on the lotus-shaped ArtScience Museum was charred black.
In her email, the reader wrote: "The fire spread to the building and blackened the white wall of the lotus-shaped museum.
"I snapped the pictures at 6.39pm, according to my phone time, and I noticed no one was putting out the fire.
"The workers were just watching it."
The Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) received a call at 6.30pm about the fire and arrived at the scene seven minutes later. The fire had already been put out by then.
When contacted by STOMP, the SCDF said the facade of the Marina Bay Sands ArtScience Museum which is undergoing construction was on fire. The cause of the fire is unknown.
President's Messaage on IMD
The following is a message from the President of H.O.M.E. (Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics).
As we commemorate International Migrants’ Day 2010, we are in solidarity with the struggles of more than 200 million migrant workers here and everywhere.
In Singapore, HOME has been witness to the afflictions of 900,000 migrant workers. We have upheld that ‘Domestic Workers are Workers’ and should be covered by national labour laws. They should not suffer discrimination just because they are migrants, women and domestic workers. No domestic worker should be made to work 365 days in a year without a day off or to lose work because of pregnancy. It is a shame that Christmas day and other holidays are enjoyed by all workers except migrant domestic workers.
Migrant workers in Singapore continue to be heavily debt burdened, working long hours, earning low wages and living under unacceptable conditions. If they are HIV positive, they are immediately deported without post counselling or referral treatment services. Where protests against such conditions occur, repatriation thugs are brought in to force the deportation of would be ‘trouble makers’ or complainants. The work permit and security bond system perpetuates slavery like conditions. Passports are taken from the worker and job mobility is mostly not an option.
Not unlike migrant workers, migrant groups like HOME are also struggling to shout out “Migrant Rights are Human Rights”. Our voices are muted even before they get hoarse. Our application for a permit to educate and campaign for the signing and ratification for the Migrants’ Convention has been denied by the police. However, despite the disappointment, we pledge not to lose hope but to persevere in the long march to freedom from slavery.
Happy International Migrants’ Day!
Bridget Tan
Founder & President
Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics
As we commemorate International Migrants’ Day 2010, we are in solidarity with the struggles of more than 200 million migrant workers here and everywhere.
In Singapore, HOME has been witness to the afflictions of 900,000 migrant workers. We have upheld that ‘Domestic Workers are Workers’ and should be covered by national labour laws. They should not suffer discrimination just because they are migrants, women and domestic workers. No domestic worker should be made to work 365 days in a year without a day off or to lose work because of pregnancy. It is a shame that Christmas day and other holidays are enjoyed by all workers except migrant domestic workers.
Migrant workers in Singapore continue to be heavily debt burdened, working long hours, earning low wages and living under unacceptable conditions. If they are HIV positive, they are immediately deported without post counselling or referral treatment services. Where protests against such conditions occur, repatriation thugs are brought in to force the deportation of would be ‘trouble makers’ or complainants. The work permit and security bond system perpetuates slavery like conditions. Passports are taken from the worker and job mobility is mostly not an option.
Not unlike migrant workers, migrant groups like HOME are also struggling to shout out “Migrant Rights are Human Rights”. Our voices are muted even before they get hoarse. Our application for a permit to educate and campaign for the signing and ratification for the Migrants’ Convention has been denied by the police. However, despite the disappointment, we pledge not to lose hope but to persevere in the long march to freedom from slavery.
Happy International Migrants’ Day!
Bridget Tan
Founder & President
Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics
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