The following article was posted by The Online Citizen on 31 May 2011.
A typical day started at 5am. Hannah (not her real name) would do some household chores and feed the family’s many pets. Mid-mornings saw her shuttling between her employer’s fruit stall and his daughter-in-law’s photo shop in Clementi. In the afternoon, there would be more chores at the daughter-in-law’s house. In the evening, she had to clean and close up the fruit stall and photo shop before heading home to scrub the toilet and iron clothes. The two families’ four cars required washing once a week. A normal day ended at 2am. Hannah stuck it out for 11 months. And then she ran away.
It was a decision borne out of desperation. Hannah had previously written letters and made phone calls to the Ministry of Manpower but all they did was tell her her case was under review. On October 7, 2010, she had called the police. But after paying her a visit and speaking to her employer, they informed her that the matter was out of their jurisdiction.
“They told me that they could not help me because it wasn’t an abuse case. The police also told me that my employer had the right to send me back to my country,” said Hannah.
She packed her bags that night. The next morning, enroute to the fruit stall with her employer, Hannah dashed out of a train at Cityhall and made her way to a shelter run by the Humanitarian Organisation for Migrant Economics (HOME). She’s been living there since.
Hannah is a victim of what HOME”s President Bridget Tan describes as “psychological abuse”. There are no physical scars, yet the impact can be devastating. Victims complain of a host of problems including sleep deprivation, stress, self-esteem issues and physical and mental exhaustion. Hannah is also illegally deployed. Cases like Hannah’s have prompted migrant rights groups and the Human Rights Watch to call for foreign domestic workers to be covered under Singapore’s Employment Act. Doing so would help ensure that they are not overworked and compel employers to give them weekly rest days, maternity benefits and other labour protections. But it’s a plea authorities here seem unwilling to heed.
When TOC approached the Ministry of Manpower for comment, we were told to refer to a letter published on the Straits Times on September 21, 2010. The letter, written in response to feedback from Vincent Wijeysingha, Executive Director at NGO Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2), explained that foreign domestic workers are not included in the Employment Act “due to the nature of their job”. It also said, “Protection for FDWs has gone beyond legislative measures. For instance, MOM maintains a dedicated helpline for distressed FDWs and actively educates employers on good FDW employment practices.”
MOM did not answer TOC’s request for statistics on the exact number of complaints it receives each year in relation to psychological abuse. The exact number of victims is hard to quantify. Unlike Hannah, many choose to suffer in silence. Quite apart from the relative lack of official interest in such cases, the women are also constrained by economic considerations. Most have paid hefty recruitment fees in order to secure work in Singapore. They live in fear of being sent home should they incur the displeasure of their employers.
For Hannah, these are uncertain times. It’s been six months since her escape and she is still waiting for MOM to complete its investigations into her case. She remains in Singapore on an Special Pass, which has to be renewed monthly. HOME is currently helping her to find a new job. Hannah hopes to stay on once the investigation ends. Despite her ordeal, she’s trying to be optimistic – hoping her next employer won’t be like her first.
Tuesday, May 31, 2011
Employment agency manager fined S$6,000
by Shaffiq Alkhatib
TODAY, May 31, 2011
SINGAPORE - An employment agency manager was fined S$6,000 on Tuesday for helping a client obtain a maid without a valid work pass in November 2008.
Ho Peng Hwee, 45, from Sincere Maid Station has also been banned from operating a maid agency indefinitely.
The client, Kelvin Ezekiel Tan Wei Chih, 38, had wanted to employ a maid to care for his two children and mother but did not have the necessary income requirement.
Tan proposed to Ho that he would submit a work permit application by using one of his friends' particulars.
Ho agreed and used a photocopy of the friend's identity card as well as income tax documents to apply for the work permit.
Idah Faridah, from Indonesia, was later sent to work for Tan from Nov 21, 2008, to May 12, 2009.
Tan had earlier been fined S$3,000 for his role in the offence.
TODAY, May 31, 2011
SINGAPORE - An employment agency manager was fined S$6,000 on Tuesday for helping a client obtain a maid without a valid work pass in November 2008.
Ho Peng Hwee, 45, from Sincere Maid Station has also been banned from operating a maid agency indefinitely.
The client, Kelvin Ezekiel Tan Wei Chih, 38, had wanted to employ a maid to care for his two children and mother but did not have the necessary income requirement.
Tan proposed to Ho that he would submit a work permit application by using one of his friends' particulars.
Ho agreed and used a photocopy of the friend's identity card as well as income tax documents to apply for the work permit.
Idah Faridah, from Indonesia, was later sent to work for Tan from Nov 21, 2008, to May 12, 2009.
Tan had earlier been fined S$3,000 for his role in the offence.
Monday, May 30, 2011
India plans to improve lives of domestic help
Straits Times, May 30, 2011
Far-reaching move hailed; group seen as neglected vote bank
By Ravi Velloor, South Asia Bureau Chief
NEW DELHI: India's middle and upper classes cannot do without the ubiquitous Ramus and Champas, domestic help who do everything from cooking for the household to cleaning and laundry.
Outside the main metros, their wages tend to be low, and everywhere, their working hours are long and irregular. Not many homes are big enough to give them private space, so they end up sleeping on the floor in a child's room or in the kitchen. Exploitation is common.
Now, if Mrs Sonia Gandhi has her way, between 4.5million and 9million domestic workers will be assured minimum wages, 15 days of paid annual leave, regulations on workplace conditions and prescribed rest.
Every worker, she wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently, should be paid a minimum wage of 115rupees a day, or the equivalent of S$3. Women, the note added, should be considered for maternity benefits. What's more, domestic help should be registered with the labour departments and given the right to organise.
The proposals, which came from her National Advisory Council (NAC), are far-reaching for an India that has traditionally tended to treat domestics as serfs. They not only underscore the social policies promoted by the chairman of India's ruling coalition, but also represent a shrewd gambit to entrench the centrist-left moorings of the Congress party.
The servant classes - cooks, cleaners, drivers, gardeners - constitute a significant chunk of city populations and have largely been ignored as a vote bank by the Left parties, which have tended to focus on organising industrial labour and farm hands.
'The salary itself is no longer an issue in cities,' says Mr Neeraj Kumar, a placement agent for maids in the South Delhi and Gurgaon areas of the national capital region. 'The servant classes are well aware of the sheer pressure of demand for reliable help, so they demand and get paid well. But issues such as maternity benefits and paid annual leave are far-reaching. Nobody in India has ever talked in terms of putting these things into law, although some of the good households do take care of these issues for their long-serving help.'
Checks with the Labour Ministry, however, reveal that Mrs Gandhi may have been pre-empting a government move on the subject.
'A Cabinet note on the matter was prepared eight months ago, which includes several far-ranging proposals on wages and conditions,' says a senior ministry official. 'There are specific proposals in this on registering household help, regulating placement agencies that deal with domestic labour and so on. We are in the process of writing to the states now. Surely, we will also take into account the views of Mrs Gandhi and her NAC.'
Regardless of who gets credit for thinking up the idea, people involved in improving the lives of working women say the proposed regulations are long overdue.
Ms Amita Sahaya of New Delhi's Women, Work & Health Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, says about 90 million people could benefit, mostly women and children belonging to the weakest and most vulnerable sections of society.
'With virtually no laws or regulations protecting them, they are exposed to merciless exploitation, a condition worsened by the unchecked mushrooming of recruitment agencies,' she says.
But she also warns that the ideas may remain Utopian unless the regulations are strictly enforced.
For instance, she fears households may ignore the stipulation that domestic help should be given a weekly day off.
'Mrs Gandhi knows this is an idea whose time has come,' she says, 'but she has to ensure it doesn't die for want of oxygen.'
Far-reaching move hailed; group seen as neglected vote bank
By Ravi Velloor, South Asia Bureau Chief
NEW DELHI: India's middle and upper classes cannot do without the ubiquitous Ramus and Champas, domestic help who do everything from cooking for the household to cleaning and laundry.
Outside the main metros, their wages tend to be low, and everywhere, their working hours are long and irregular. Not many homes are big enough to give them private space, so they end up sleeping on the floor in a child's room or in the kitchen. Exploitation is common.
Now, if Mrs Sonia Gandhi has her way, between 4.5million and 9million domestic workers will be assured minimum wages, 15 days of paid annual leave, regulations on workplace conditions and prescribed rest.
Every worker, she wrote to Prime Minister Manmohan Singh recently, should be paid a minimum wage of 115rupees a day, or the equivalent of S$3. Women, the note added, should be considered for maternity benefits. What's more, domestic help should be registered with the labour departments and given the right to organise.
The proposals, which came from her National Advisory Council (NAC), are far-reaching for an India that has traditionally tended to treat domestics as serfs. They not only underscore the social policies promoted by the chairman of India's ruling coalition, but also represent a shrewd gambit to entrench the centrist-left moorings of the Congress party.
The servant classes - cooks, cleaners, drivers, gardeners - constitute a significant chunk of city populations and have largely been ignored as a vote bank by the Left parties, which have tended to focus on organising industrial labour and farm hands.
'The salary itself is no longer an issue in cities,' says Mr Neeraj Kumar, a placement agent for maids in the South Delhi and Gurgaon areas of the national capital region. 'The servant classes are well aware of the sheer pressure of demand for reliable help, so they demand and get paid well. But issues such as maternity benefits and paid annual leave are far-reaching. Nobody in India has ever talked in terms of putting these things into law, although some of the good households do take care of these issues for their long-serving help.'
Checks with the Labour Ministry, however, reveal that Mrs Gandhi may have been pre-empting a government move on the subject.
'A Cabinet note on the matter was prepared eight months ago, which includes several far-ranging proposals on wages and conditions,' says a senior ministry official. 'There are specific proposals in this on registering household help, regulating placement agencies that deal with domestic labour and so on. We are in the process of writing to the states now. Surely, we will also take into account the views of Mrs Gandhi and her NAC.'
Regardless of who gets credit for thinking up the idea, people involved in improving the lives of working women say the proposed regulations are long overdue.
Ms Amita Sahaya of New Delhi's Women, Work & Health Initiative, a non-governmental organisation, says about 90 million people could benefit, mostly women and children belonging to the weakest and most vulnerable sections of society.
'With virtually no laws or regulations protecting them, they are exposed to merciless exploitation, a condition worsened by the unchecked mushrooming of recruitment agencies,' she says.
But she also warns that the ideas may remain Utopian unless the regulations are strictly enforced.
For instance, she fears households may ignore the stipulation that domestic help should be given a weekly day off.
'Mrs Gandhi knows this is an idea whose time has come,' she says, 'but she has to ensure it doesn't die for want of oxygen.'
Sunday, May 29, 2011
Jakarta to lift freeze on maids for KL
Straits Times, May 29, 2011
MOU will be signed tomorrow, ending two-year moratorium; maids to get better terms
Petaling Jaya - The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta tomorrow is expected to end a two-year freeze on Indonesian maids working in Malaysia.
Indonesia stopped sending maids to Malaysia from June 2009 following reports on cases of abuse by employers, and a lack of benefits like a minimum monthly salary and a day off for maids.
The reports caused outrage in Indonesia.
Under the revised MOU, Indonesian maids will get one day off a week and be allowed to keep their passports.
Their salaries would be paid through banks, to avoid disputes on the matter.
Maid agencies in Indonesia would be required to send only trained maids and provide replacements if the ones they send do not meet employers' requirements.
On the issue of minimum wage for maids, however, Indonesian Labour and Transmigration Ministry director Rostiawati said it would be left to market forces. 'Our embassy in Kuala Lumpur will monitor the market rate and make recommendations accordingly,' she told The Star in an interview last Friday.
Mr Suryana Sastradiredja, the Indonesian Embassy Minister-Counsellor for Information, Social and Cultural Affairs in Kuala Lumpur, said a minimum wage has not been fixed because the costs of living differed from one Malaysian city to another.
He added that if an Indonesian maid was required to work daily, the employer would have to compensate her.
The MOU will cover the rights of both domestic helpers and employers, he said. Joint task forces will be set up in both countries to monitor its implementation.
The lifting of the freeze will be a huge relief for Malaysian families desperately in need of domestic helpers. Some 35,000 Malaysian families are said to be on the waiting list for Indonesian maids.
According to the ministry's figures last year, there were 400,000 foreign maids in Malaysia, of whom 300,000 were Indonesians and the rest Filipinos, Cambodians and Sri Lankans, the New Straits Times reported.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies president Alwi Bavutty expected at least 30,000 maids from Indonesia to start working here once the MOU has been signed.
'There is a huge demand for Indonesian maids. Many Malaysians prefer Indonesian maids due to the similarity in culture and language,' he told the New Straits Times.
Human Resource Minister S. Subramaniam will represent Malaysia at the signing tomorrow at the Gedung Sate Bandung in Indonesia.
Indonesia will be represented by its Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.
MOU will be signed tomorrow, ending two-year moratorium; maids to get better terms
Petaling Jaya - The signing of a memorandum of understanding (MOU) between Kuala Lumpur and Jakarta tomorrow is expected to end a two-year freeze on Indonesian maids working in Malaysia.
Indonesia stopped sending maids to Malaysia from June 2009 following reports on cases of abuse by employers, and a lack of benefits like a minimum monthly salary and a day off for maids.
The reports caused outrage in Indonesia.
Under the revised MOU, Indonesian maids will get one day off a week and be allowed to keep their passports.
Their salaries would be paid through banks, to avoid disputes on the matter.
Maid agencies in Indonesia would be required to send only trained maids and provide replacements if the ones they send do not meet employers' requirements.
On the issue of minimum wage for maids, however, Indonesian Labour and Transmigration Ministry director Rostiawati said it would be left to market forces. 'Our embassy in Kuala Lumpur will monitor the market rate and make recommendations accordingly,' she told The Star in an interview last Friday.
Mr Suryana Sastradiredja, the Indonesian Embassy Minister-Counsellor for Information, Social and Cultural Affairs in Kuala Lumpur, said a minimum wage has not been fixed because the costs of living differed from one Malaysian city to another.
He added that if an Indonesian maid was required to work daily, the employer would have to compensate her.
The MOU will cover the rights of both domestic helpers and employers, he said. Joint task forces will be set up in both countries to monitor its implementation.
The lifting of the freeze will be a huge relief for Malaysian families desperately in need of domestic helpers. Some 35,000 Malaysian families are said to be on the waiting list for Indonesian maids.
According to the ministry's figures last year, there were 400,000 foreign maids in Malaysia, of whom 300,000 were Indonesians and the rest Filipinos, Cambodians and Sri Lankans, the New Straits Times reported.
Malaysian Association of Foreign Maid Agencies president Alwi Bavutty expected at least 30,000 maids from Indonesia to start working here once the MOU has been signed.
'There is a huge demand for Indonesian maids. Many Malaysians prefer Indonesian maids due to the similarity in culture and language,' he told the New Straits Times.
Human Resource Minister S. Subramaniam will represent Malaysia at the signing tomorrow at the Gedung Sate Bandung in Indonesia.
Indonesia will be represented by its Manpower and Transmigration Minister Muhaimin Iskandar.
Saturday, May 28, 2011
Employers might use threat of ban against workers
Letter from Ebenezer Jeyara
TODAY, Voices, May 28, 2011
I REFER to the letter "If we had known his employment history..." (May 25) by Matthew Chua.
A properly qualified and experienced HR professional should be able to do a proper background check on the candidate, be it local talent or foreign talent. Especially if the candidate is a foreigner, it can be easily verified from the passport whether the candidate has worked before in Singapore.
When applying for a work permit from the Manpower Ministry, the candidate's employment history should be provided: MOM would easily be able to track with the passport/FIN number and false declarations are easily discovered.
A good employer should not insist on banning an employee from working in Singapore again when the employee has not been convicted of any offence.
Empowering employers to put in a request to ban a foreign worker would give some employers an opportunity to use it as a threat against their employees.
In any case, the issues highlighted by the writer also apply when hiring local talent.
If the concern is really about hiring the right talent (whether local or foreign) and the company lacks expertise to do background checks, there are several professional organisations that specialise in doing background checks on the candidates.
As for candidates that have changed employers several times, in this competitive world, unless companies maintain good retention policies and meet the genuine needs of employees, the latter job-hop until they find the right place.
TODAY, Voices, May 28, 2011
I REFER to the letter "If we had known his employment history..." (May 25) by Matthew Chua.
A properly qualified and experienced HR professional should be able to do a proper background check on the candidate, be it local talent or foreign talent. Especially if the candidate is a foreigner, it can be easily verified from the passport whether the candidate has worked before in Singapore.
When applying for a work permit from the Manpower Ministry, the candidate's employment history should be provided: MOM would easily be able to track with the passport/FIN number and false declarations are easily discovered.
A good employer should not insist on banning an employee from working in Singapore again when the employee has not been convicted of any offence.
Empowering employers to put in a request to ban a foreign worker would give some employers an opportunity to use it as a threat against their employees.
In any case, the issues highlighted by the writer also apply when hiring local talent.
If the concern is really about hiring the right talent (whether local or foreign) and the company lacks expertise to do background checks, there are several professional organisations that specialise in doing background checks on the candidates.
As for candidates that have changed employers several times, in this competitive world, unless companies maintain good retention policies and meet the genuine needs of employees, the latter job-hop until they find the right place.
Thursday, May 26, 2011
S'pore jobs for 60,000 Indians? Not true
Straits Times, May 26, 2011
Manpower Ministry dismisses figure given in Times of India report
By Ravi Velloor, South Asia Bureau Chief & Ben Nadarajan
NEW DELHI: Firmly placed in the centre of the world's most promising growth area, Singapore-based companies continue to hire steadily, with talent from India benefiting from the demand.
But 60,000 new jobs for Indian nationals? No way.
That was the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) response to queries from The Straits Times about a Times of India report which claimed that Singapore expected to hire 300,000 mid- to senior-level workers this year. It cited unnamed hiring firms as saying that 60,000 of them would be from India.
The Times report has generated a buzz among the social networking community in Singapore, with many posting the article online. This, in turn, drew comments from other users, including many who asked if the hiring of foreigners would continue unabated. The influx of foreign workers was a hot-button issue in the May 7 General Election.
In its response, however, the MOM called the 60,000 figure 'unrealistic'.
It pointed out that for the whole of last year, when Singapore saw sparkling economic growth of 14.7 per cent, 59,700 foreign workers were hired from a spread of countries including India, China and Malaysia. This brought the total number of Employment Pass and S Pass holders to 240,000.
It added that in 2009, when Singapore saw negative growth, foreign employment fell by 4,200.
With growth for this year forecast at between 5 and 7 per cent, 'we expect a more moderate pace of employment growth', the ministry said.
Recruiters contacted agreed that the figure was excessive but said hiring would still be strong.
'With a three-year-low unemployment rate of 1.9 per cent in Singapore, we have a tighter labour market and competition for talent,' said Ms Linda Teo, head of business services for Manpower Inc, a recruitment firm.
'Forty-four per cent of employers we interviewed reported difficulties in filling jobs. Broadening the search outside Singapore is one of the strategies employers implement.'
Clients usually asked the firm to recruit from countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia, according to Ms Teo.
'The technology sector is doing fantastically well,' said Mr Zubin Shroff, a partner in executive search firm Braithwaite Steiner Pretty, which focuses on senior-level talent from its offices in Battery Road and Shenton Way. 'Typically, in this sector, we find that between 10 and 20 per cent of outside talent is from India.'
Mr Shroff, who places between 12 and 15 senior-level executives annually, was in the Indian technology hub of Gurgaon last week to interview candidates for two managing director-level positions in Singapore.
'Singapore has come to the fore as a technical support hub for the region,' he said. 'There was a time when Sydney was the expat location of choice for regional roles. Then you had Tokyo and Hong Kong. But Singapore has left everyone else far behind.'
It is this hub status that is driving a lot of recruitment outside Singapore, recruiters say.
Also, when top-level Indians are hired, many demand that the position be based in Singapore, where they feel most comfortable culturally and their families feel secure. All this gives the impression of a bigger Indian presence than is the case.
'Financial services are seeing strong demand and we are also seeing requests in the infrastructure space,' said Mr Atul Kumar, senior partner at search firm Amrop International. He added that another such sector is the automotive one.
Almost every recruiter says the first preference is always for local talent because it makes sense both from a market-knowledge point of view and costs to the company.
'Banking, shipping, oil and gas, engineering...they are all hiring,' said Ms Y.C. Jayanthi, the Bangalore-based head of recruitment firm Ad Astra Consultants, which has offices across Asia.
'After a difficult 2009, we saw strong hiring in the second half of last year. That trend is sustaining this year. As always, whether in Shanghai or Sydney, we look to locals before going outside, and that applies to Singapore, where there is good talent, particularly in banking services.'
Manpower Ministry dismisses figure given in Times of India report
By Ravi Velloor, South Asia Bureau Chief & Ben Nadarajan
NEW DELHI: Firmly placed in the centre of the world's most promising growth area, Singapore-based companies continue to hire steadily, with talent from India benefiting from the demand.
But 60,000 new jobs for Indian nationals? No way.
That was the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) response to queries from The Straits Times about a Times of India report which claimed that Singapore expected to hire 300,000 mid- to senior-level workers this year. It cited unnamed hiring firms as saying that 60,000 of them would be from India.
The Times report has generated a buzz among the social networking community in Singapore, with many posting the article online. This, in turn, drew comments from other users, including many who asked if the hiring of foreigners would continue unabated. The influx of foreign workers was a hot-button issue in the May 7 General Election.
In its response, however, the MOM called the 60,000 figure 'unrealistic'.
It pointed out that for the whole of last year, when Singapore saw sparkling economic growth of 14.7 per cent, 59,700 foreign workers were hired from a spread of countries including India, China and Malaysia. This brought the total number of Employment Pass and S Pass holders to 240,000.
It added that in 2009, when Singapore saw negative growth, foreign employment fell by 4,200.
With growth for this year forecast at between 5 and 7 per cent, 'we expect a more moderate pace of employment growth', the ministry said.
Recruiters contacted agreed that the figure was excessive but said hiring would still be strong.
'With a three-year-low unemployment rate of 1.9 per cent in Singapore, we have a tighter labour market and competition for talent,' said Ms Linda Teo, head of business services for Manpower Inc, a recruitment firm.
'Forty-four per cent of employers we interviewed reported difficulties in filling jobs. Broadening the search outside Singapore is one of the strategies employers implement.'
Clients usually asked the firm to recruit from countries such as the Philippines and Malaysia, according to Ms Teo.
'The technology sector is doing fantastically well,' said Mr Zubin Shroff, a partner in executive search firm Braithwaite Steiner Pretty, which focuses on senior-level talent from its offices in Battery Road and Shenton Way. 'Typically, in this sector, we find that between 10 and 20 per cent of outside talent is from India.'
Mr Shroff, who places between 12 and 15 senior-level executives annually, was in the Indian technology hub of Gurgaon last week to interview candidates for two managing director-level positions in Singapore.
'Singapore has come to the fore as a technical support hub for the region,' he said. 'There was a time when Sydney was the expat location of choice for regional roles. Then you had Tokyo and Hong Kong. But Singapore has left everyone else far behind.'
It is this hub status that is driving a lot of recruitment outside Singapore, recruiters say.
Also, when top-level Indians are hired, many demand that the position be based in Singapore, where they feel most comfortable culturally and their families feel secure. All this gives the impression of a bigger Indian presence than is the case.
'Financial services are seeing strong demand and we are also seeing requests in the infrastructure space,' said Mr Atul Kumar, senior partner at search firm Amrop International. He added that another such sector is the automotive one.
Almost every recruiter says the first preference is always for local talent because it makes sense both from a market-knowledge point of view and costs to the company.
'Banking, shipping, oil and gas, engineering...they are all hiring,' said Ms Y.C. Jayanthi, the Bangalore-based head of recruitment firm Ad Astra Consultants, which has offices across Asia.
'After a difficult 2009, we saw strong hiring in the second half of last year. That trend is sustaining this year. As always, whether in Shanghai or Sydney, we look to locals before going outside, and that applies to Singapore, where there is good talent, particularly in banking services.'
Maid staged break-in to steal jewellery
Straits Times, May 26, 2011
By Jalelah Abu Baker
AN INDIAN maid staged a break-in on Tuesday and stole more than $30,000 worth of jewellery from her employers.
However, the 35-year-old was arrested the same day when police officers exposed her ploy. Her accomplices - three Indian nationals - were also arrested for dishonestly receiving stolen property.
The maid has been working for her employers, a married couple from India who are permanent residents here, for six years.
She was alone at home most of the time because her employers were at work, and their 13-year-old son was in school.
On Tuesday, she messed up parts of the condominium apartment in Yishun to make it look like it had been ransacked, before leaving for the market at 8.45am.
She returned to the apartment about an hour later, and called her employer to tell him about the 'break-in'. He called the police while he rushed home from work.
When Staff Sergeant Saravanan Muthiah, lead investigator on the case, arrived at the scene, he sensed that something was amiss. There were no signs of forced entry on the doors or windows.
He also noted that the maid was unusually composed for a victim when he interviewed her in Tamil.
'It didn't make sense. A genuine victim's behaviour is more panicky. She was cool and calm, and her answers were vague,' said Staff Sgt Saravanan, 36, who has been with the police force for more than 10 years.
Adding to his suspicion, he noticed that only certain parts of the house had been ransacked - unlike in most break-in cases where the whole house would be ransacked.
After mounting a thorough search of the house, his team found gold jewellery stashed in the water tank of the kitchen toilet.
When confronted with the evidence, the maid initially denied stealing but she confessed upon interrogation.
Police then tracked down three other suspects who were believed to have helped the maid keep part of the loot. An ambush operation subsequently led to their arrests the same day.
All the stolen jewellery, including necklaces, bangles and earrings, some of which were crafted in expensive Bombay design, were recovered.
Those convicted of theft as a servant face a fine and a maximum jail term of seven years.
Investigations against the other three suspects are still ongoing.
The trio's offence of dishonestly receiving stolen property carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine, or both.
By Jalelah Abu Baker
AN INDIAN maid staged a break-in on Tuesday and stole more than $30,000 worth of jewellery from her employers.
However, the 35-year-old was arrested the same day when police officers exposed her ploy. Her accomplices - three Indian nationals - were also arrested for dishonestly receiving stolen property.
The maid has been working for her employers, a married couple from India who are permanent residents here, for six years.
She was alone at home most of the time because her employers were at work, and their 13-year-old son was in school.
On Tuesday, she messed up parts of the condominium apartment in Yishun to make it look like it had been ransacked, before leaving for the market at 8.45am.
She returned to the apartment about an hour later, and called her employer to tell him about the 'break-in'. He called the police while he rushed home from work.
When Staff Sergeant Saravanan Muthiah, lead investigator on the case, arrived at the scene, he sensed that something was amiss. There were no signs of forced entry on the doors or windows.
He also noted that the maid was unusually composed for a victim when he interviewed her in Tamil.
'It didn't make sense. A genuine victim's behaviour is more panicky. She was cool and calm, and her answers were vague,' said Staff Sgt Saravanan, 36, who has been with the police force for more than 10 years.
Adding to his suspicion, he noticed that only certain parts of the house had been ransacked - unlike in most break-in cases where the whole house would be ransacked.
After mounting a thorough search of the house, his team found gold jewellery stashed in the water tank of the kitchen toilet.
When confronted with the evidence, the maid initially denied stealing but she confessed upon interrogation.
Police then tracked down three other suspects who were believed to have helped the maid keep part of the loot. An ambush operation subsequently led to their arrests the same day.
All the stolen jewellery, including necklaces, bangles and earrings, some of which were crafted in expensive Bombay design, were recovered.
Those convicted of theft as a servant face a fine and a maximum jail term of seven years.
Investigations against the other three suspects are still ongoing.
The trio's offence of dishonestly receiving stolen property carries a maximum jail term of five years, a fine, or both.
Wednesday, May 25, 2011
If we had known his employment history...
Letter from Matthew Chua
TODAY, Voices, May 25, 2011
I REFER to the report, "Two dormitory operators fined by MOM" (May 24). This, coupled with upcoming changes to the issue of work permits, serve to protect foreign workers. There is no doubt their interests need to be taken care of, but the Ministry Of Manpower can do more to help protect employers' interests too.
Firstly, when employers apply for work permits for new workers, they should be able to view the person's employment history. Vital data such as name of company, occupation and duration of work are extremely important in determining whether a person should be hired or not.
We once hired someone who quit three weeks later. We wasted our time and money training this person, only to find out he had lied about his employment history. He had claimed this was the first time he was working in Singapore, but when he resigned, he revealed this was his fourth job in six months.
Had such information been available to employers, we would not have proceeded to recruit him.
When we hire a Singaporean, we can't always check if this person has lied about his employment history. But in the case of a foreigner, the information is sitting with the Manpower Ministry. If it wants to improve productivity, helping employers recruit the right kind of candidate would be a good way to go about it.
My other concern is with regards to additional information that employers might want to share with each other. One of our employees was sacked after a month. He was perpetually late, constantly took smoking breaks and often disappeared for up to half an hour. The final straw came when he stole money from our customer's car.
It is obvious such a candidate should never be granted an opportunity to work in Singapore again. However, the current work permit administrative system does not allow the employer to key in extra information, nor does it say whether the worker resigned or was sacked from his previous job here.
When I called the MOM and persisted with my feedback, I was told they would send me a form to complete in order for them to consider "blocking" this person from seeking employment here again. With a new minister at its head, perhaps this is a good time for the ministry to look into improving the system.
TODAY, Voices, May 25, 2011
I REFER to the report, "Two dormitory operators fined by MOM" (May 24). This, coupled with upcoming changes to the issue of work permits, serve to protect foreign workers. There is no doubt their interests need to be taken care of, but the Ministry Of Manpower can do more to help protect employers' interests too.
Firstly, when employers apply for work permits for new workers, they should be able to view the person's employment history. Vital data such as name of company, occupation and duration of work are extremely important in determining whether a person should be hired or not.
We once hired someone who quit three weeks later. We wasted our time and money training this person, only to find out he had lied about his employment history. He had claimed this was the first time he was working in Singapore, but when he resigned, he revealed this was his fourth job in six months.
Had such information been available to employers, we would not have proceeded to recruit him.
When we hire a Singaporean, we can't always check if this person has lied about his employment history. But in the case of a foreigner, the information is sitting with the Manpower Ministry. If it wants to improve productivity, helping employers recruit the right kind of candidate would be a good way to go about it.
My other concern is with regards to additional information that employers might want to share with each other. One of our employees was sacked after a month. He was perpetually late, constantly took smoking breaks and often disappeared for up to half an hour. The final straw came when he stole money from our customer's car.
It is obvious such a candidate should never be granted an opportunity to work in Singapore again. However, the current work permit administrative system does not allow the employer to key in extra information, nor does it say whether the worker resigned or was sacked from his previous job here.
When I called the MOM and persisted with my feedback, I was told they would send me a form to complete in order for them to consider "blocking" this person from seeking employment here again. With a new minister at its head, perhaps this is a good time for the ministry to look into improving the system.
ICA officer cleared of bribery charges
Straits Times, May 25, 2011
-- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIM
A SENIOR Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer walked out of court a free man yesterday, cleared of the last eight charges of accepting bribes.
Mr Dong Ching Jit (below, right), 58, had earlier been convicted of four other charges, but these were overturned by the High Court last July upon appeal.
Yesterday, the prosecution applied to withdraw the remaining eight charges against him. District Judge Low Wee Ping granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal.
With this case hanging over him, Mr Dong has been suspended as a deputy superintendent of the ICA for four years.
The eight charges alleged that he corruptly accepted $70,000 from Mr Edmund Hoon Wai Kein, 34, to extend social visit passes of foreign nationals.
He was initially accused of 12 charges of corruptly accepting $140,000 in bribes from Mr Hoon between December 2004 and April 2005, when he was a manager in ICA's Visitor Services Centre.
Mr Dong was first tried in 2009 on four charges of receiving bribes to grant social visit pass (SVP) extensions to Chinese and Vietnamese nationals. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months' jail and ordered to pay a penalty of $10,000.
When he appealed, the High Court quashed his conviction on the grounds that Mr Hoon's evidence was unreliable.
Mr Hoon, the main prosecution witness and alleged syndicate leader, had testified in the lower court that Mr Dong helped him extend the SVPs of several Vietnamese women in December 2004, and continued doing so until Mr Hoon's arrest in April 2005.
Mr Hoon said he and his Vietnamese wife would charge Chinese nationals $800 to $1,000 each, and Vietnamese, $350 to $400 each for a one-month extension. He was unsure how much he paid Mr Dong, but his own share could go up to $100,000 to $150,000 during 'peak periods', he told the court. Mr Hoon has not been charged.
Yesterday, Mr Dong, who was represented by Mr Tng Kim Choon, said outside the courtroom that he was happy justice had been done.
He added that his family was very happy for him.
Expressing hope that he would be reinstated in his job, he said: 'I suffered for so long for nothing.'
ELENA CHONG
-- ST PHOTO: CHEW SENG KIMA SENIOR Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officer walked out of court a free man yesterday, cleared of the last eight charges of accepting bribes.
Mr Dong Ching Jit (below, right), 58, had earlier been convicted of four other charges, but these were overturned by the High Court last July upon appeal.
Yesterday, the prosecution applied to withdraw the remaining eight charges against him. District Judge Low Wee Ping granted him a discharge amounting to an acquittal.
With this case hanging over him, Mr Dong has been suspended as a deputy superintendent of the ICA for four years.
The eight charges alleged that he corruptly accepted $70,000 from Mr Edmund Hoon Wai Kein, 34, to extend social visit passes of foreign nationals.
He was initially accused of 12 charges of corruptly accepting $140,000 in bribes from Mr Hoon between December 2004 and April 2005, when he was a manager in ICA's Visitor Services Centre.
Mr Dong was first tried in 2009 on four charges of receiving bribes to grant social visit pass (SVP) extensions to Chinese and Vietnamese nationals. He was found guilty and sentenced to 18 months' jail and ordered to pay a penalty of $10,000.
When he appealed, the High Court quashed his conviction on the grounds that Mr Hoon's evidence was unreliable.
Mr Hoon, the main prosecution witness and alleged syndicate leader, had testified in the lower court that Mr Dong helped him extend the SVPs of several Vietnamese women in December 2004, and continued doing so until Mr Hoon's arrest in April 2005.
Mr Hoon said he and his Vietnamese wife would charge Chinese nationals $800 to $1,000 each, and Vietnamese, $350 to $400 each for a one-month extension. He was unsure how much he paid Mr Dong, but his own share could go up to $100,000 to $150,000 during 'peak periods', he told the court. Mr Hoon has not been charged.
Yesterday, Mr Dong, who was represented by Mr Tng Kim Choon, said outside the courtroom that he was happy justice had been done.
He added that his family was very happy for him.
Expressing hope that he would be reinstated in his job, he said: 'I suffered for so long for nothing.'
ELENA CHONG
Tuesday, May 24, 2011
Two dormitory operators fined in a first by MOM
by S Mustafa
TODAY, May 24, 2011
SINGAPORE - The Manpower Ministry (MOM) has fined, for the first time, two dormitory operators a total of S$70,000 for aiding employers to put up foreign workers in unacceptable accommodation.
One of them, ST9 Pte Ltd, was fined S$50,000 - the highest to date for such an offence.
The MOM conducted an inspection at three factory-converted dormitories managed by ST9 in Woodlands Industrial Park in December.
It found more than 1,100 foreign workers in the three units - more than double what was allowed. More than 600 workers were found staying on levels that were not approved to be used for housing.
The other operator, Sunhuan Construction, was fined a total of S$20,000.
Sunhuan had earlier been fined by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for operating an overcrowded and unsafe workers dormitory in Tagore Industrial Avenue.
The MOM and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) then conducted a joint inspection last October.
During the visit, a total of 377 foreign workers from 12 companies were found living on the premises.
The workers were living in cramped conditions and had to put up with poor ventilation and housekeeping.
Further investigations revealed that Sunhuan had provided the accommodation at the premises to its subsidiary companies and sub-contractors, while being aware that it had flouted several rules, including overcrowding.
The site was also illegally operating as a commercial dormitory and utilising space that had not been approved for accommodation purposes.
In reply to MediaCorp queries, an MOM spokesperson said the ministry "has always been enforcing on employers as they are our primary target".
"However, dorm operators also play a role in providing acceptable accommodation to foreign workers. We are now taking the next step to enforce against them and will continue our efforts in doing so," she added.
Last year, the MOM took enforcement action against more than 1,700 employers for failing to provide acceptable accommodation for their foreign workers.
So far this year, it has taken action against more than 260 employers for the same offence.
TODAY, May 24, 2011
SINGAPORE - The Manpower Ministry (MOM) has fined, for the first time, two dormitory operators a total of S$70,000 for aiding employers to put up foreign workers in unacceptable accommodation.
One of them, ST9 Pte Ltd, was fined S$50,000 - the highest to date for such an offence.
The MOM conducted an inspection at three factory-converted dormitories managed by ST9 in Woodlands Industrial Park in December.
It found more than 1,100 foreign workers in the three units - more than double what was allowed. More than 600 workers were found staying on levels that were not approved to be used for housing.
The other operator, Sunhuan Construction, was fined a total of S$20,000.
Sunhuan had earlier been fined by the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) for operating an overcrowded and unsafe workers dormitory in Tagore Industrial Avenue.
The MOM and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) then conducted a joint inspection last October.
During the visit, a total of 377 foreign workers from 12 companies were found living on the premises.
The workers were living in cramped conditions and had to put up with poor ventilation and housekeeping.
Further investigations revealed that Sunhuan had provided the accommodation at the premises to its subsidiary companies and sub-contractors, while being aware that it had flouted several rules, including overcrowding.
The site was also illegally operating as a commercial dormitory and utilising space that had not been approved for accommodation purposes.
In reply to MediaCorp queries, an MOM spokesperson said the ministry "has always been enforcing on employers as they are our primary target".
"However, dorm operators also play a role in providing acceptable accommodation to foreign workers. We are now taking the next step to enforce against them and will continue our efforts in doing so," she added.
Last year, the MOM took enforcement action against more than 1,700 employers for failing to provide acceptable accommodation for their foreign workers.
So far this year, it has taken action against more than 260 employers for the same offence.
Maid's death: Water tank to be replaced
Straits Times, May 24, 2011
Sembawang town council says 'yes' to residents but will need approval from the authorities
By Jessica Lim
Photo caption: The water tank in which an Indonesian maid's body was found. The town council estimates the replacement to cost $40,000, which it will bear. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIM
SEMBAWANG Town Council has agreed to replace the water tank at a Housing Board block in Woodlands in which an Indonesian maid's body was found on May 16.
Its general manager Soon Min Sin said it had met engineers and contractors over the past few days, and that 'work will start once the relevant authorities have given their approval'.
The submissions will be handed to them soon, he added.
'We studied the residents' suggestions and found that this was feasible so we decided to act quickly and replace it.'
The town council is in the midst of informing residents of its decision. So far, 84 residents of Block 686B in Woodlands Drive 73 have signed a petition for the tank to be replaced.
MP Vikram Nair, who had met other Sembawang GRC MPs and the town council to push for the replacement, said: 'The changing of the tank was one of the main things residents wanted. They were very uncomfortable about keeping the tank because it reminded them of the incident.'
A Bangladeshi cleaner has been charged with the maid's murder.
'Hopefully, this will help them move on,' Mr Nair said, adding that approval is still needed from relevant authorities such as the HDB and national water agency PUB for the replacement to go ahead.
He expects the go-ahead to come in two weeks and reckons that the new tank will be operational in two months.
The round and concrete tanks are 2m deep and 3.2m in diameter.
Going by the town council's estimates, the replacement is expected to cost $40,000, which it will bear.
The high figure, said Mr Kenneth Loo, director of construction firm Straits Construction, may be due to the lack of accessibility to the rooftop. 'A crane will likely be needed to lift the tank from the building. Pipes will also have to be removed,' he said.
Mr Nair, who attended a dialogue with residents last Saturday, is urging them to be patient. 'It is a huge project. These water tanks are permanent fixtures and will take some time to replace,' he said.
He added that he will look into the residents' other requests, including the installation of closed- circuit television cameras at the access point of the rooftop.
Only four of the eight tanks in the block are now in use. The other four, including the tank in which the maid's body was found, have been isolated.
The town council said the smaller number of tanks would not affect water flow and pressure as a pump is activated when water levels in the tanks reach the halfway point.
A spokesman for PUB said the four unaffected tanks have been washed and sterilised, and that it will look into the town council's proposal.
The agency, which conducts regular spot checks on water tanks, said there were 38 cases of non-compliance from 2003 to 2006, and 12 cases from 2007 till last month.
These cases included access points to water tanks or inspection covers which were left unlocked.
There are about 14,000 buildings with water storage tanks in Singapore.
In response to residents' requests on whether they could be compensated for the extra costs of water, the town council will be crediting $10 to their service and conservancy charges accounts for the month of June.
Many residents had resorted to drinking mineral water after news broke of the body found in the tank. Water supply was also temporarily cut off.
Residents can submit medical bills to the town council to get reimbursed for treatment related to the incident.
Locks to the tanks will also be changed and the keys will be restricted to only town council staff.
Housewife Samantha Guo, 39, who helped circulate the petition forms, has welcomed the change, saying: 'I am very happy. This means that they do take us seriously.'
Sembawang town council says 'yes' to residents but will need approval from the authorities
By Jessica Lim
Photo caption: The water tank in which an Indonesian maid's body was found. The town council estimates the replacement to cost $40,000, which it will bear. -- ST PHOTO: KEVIN LIMSEMBAWANG Town Council has agreed to replace the water tank at a Housing Board block in Woodlands in which an Indonesian maid's body was found on May 16.
Its general manager Soon Min Sin said it had met engineers and contractors over the past few days, and that 'work will start once the relevant authorities have given their approval'.
The submissions will be handed to them soon, he added.
'We studied the residents' suggestions and found that this was feasible so we decided to act quickly and replace it.'
The town council is in the midst of informing residents of its decision. So far, 84 residents of Block 686B in Woodlands Drive 73 have signed a petition for the tank to be replaced.
MP Vikram Nair, who had met other Sembawang GRC MPs and the town council to push for the replacement, said: 'The changing of the tank was one of the main things residents wanted. They were very uncomfortable about keeping the tank because it reminded them of the incident.'
A Bangladeshi cleaner has been charged with the maid's murder.
'Hopefully, this will help them move on,' Mr Nair said, adding that approval is still needed from relevant authorities such as the HDB and national water agency PUB for the replacement to go ahead.
He expects the go-ahead to come in two weeks and reckons that the new tank will be operational in two months.
The round and concrete tanks are 2m deep and 3.2m in diameter.
Going by the town council's estimates, the replacement is expected to cost $40,000, which it will bear.
The high figure, said Mr Kenneth Loo, director of construction firm Straits Construction, may be due to the lack of accessibility to the rooftop. 'A crane will likely be needed to lift the tank from the building. Pipes will also have to be removed,' he said.
Mr Nair, who attended a dialogue with residents last Saturday, is urging them to be patient. 'It is a huge project. These water tanks are permanent fixtures and will take some time to replace,' he said.
He added that he will look into the residents' other requests, including the installation of closed- circuit television cameras at the access point of the rooftop.
Only four of the eight tanks in the block are now in use. The other four, including the tank in which the maid's body was found, have been isolated.
The town council said the smaller number of tanks would not affect water flow and pressure as a pump is activated when water levels in the tanks reach the halfway point.
A spokesman for PUB said the four unaffected tanks have been washed and sterilised, and that it will look into the town council's proposal.
The agency, which conducts regular spot checks on water tanks, said there were 38 cases of non-compliance from 2003 to 2006, and 12 cases from 2007 till last month.
These cases included access points to water tanks or inspection covers which were left unlocked.
There are about 14,000 buildings with water storage tanks in Singapore.
In response to residents' requests on whether they could be compensated for the extra costs of water, the town council will be crediting $10 to their service and conservancy charges accounts for the month of June.
Many residents had resorted to drinking mineral water after news broke of the body found in the tank. Water supply was also temporarily cut off.
Residents can submit medical bills to the town council to get reimbursed for treatment related to the incident.
Locks to the tanks will also be changed and the keys will be restricted to only town council staff.
Housewife Samantha Guo, 39, who helped circulate the petition forms, has welcomed the change, saying: 'I am very happy. This means that they do take us seriously.'
Two dorm operators fined by MOM
Straits Times, May 24, 2011
Case File
-ST photo
TWO dormitory operators have been fined by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for allowing employers to house foreign workers in poor living conditions.
Sunhuan Construction had two fines of $10,000 each imposed on it, while ST9 was fined $50,000.
This is the first time that MOM is taking action against companies abetting the offence of failing to provide acceptable accommodation.
Previously, it penalised only the employers of these foreign workers.
In October last year, MOM - together with the Urban Redevelopment Authority - found 377 foreign workers from 12 companies living in cramped, poorly ventilated conditions at the Tagore Industrial Avenue dormitory, which was operated by Sunhuan.
The site was also illegally operating as a commercial dorm and using space not approved as living quarters.
In December last year, MOM inspectors found dorms managed by ST9 at Woodlands Industrial Park to be overcrowded.
Over 1,100 workers lived in three factory-converted dorms, more than double the number allowed.
More than 600 workers were also found housed on levels that were not approved for this purpose.
Last year, MOM took action against more than 1,700 employers for failing to provide acceptable accommodation.
So far this year, more than 260 employers have been taken to task for the same offence.
Case File
-ST photoTWO dormitory operators have been fined by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for allowing employers to house foreign workers in poor living conditions.
Sunhuan Construction had two fines of $10,000 each imposed on it, while ST9 was fined $50,000.
This is the first time that MOM is taking action against companies abetting the offence of failing to provide acceptable accommodation.
Previously, it penalised only the employers of these foreign workers.
In October last year, MOM - together with the Urban Redevelopment Authority - found 377 foreign workers from 12 companies living in cramped, poorly ventilated conditions at the Tagore Industrial Avenue dormitory, which was operated by Sunhuan.
The site was also illegally operating as a commercial dorm and using space not approved as living quarters.
In December last year, MOM inspectors found dorms managed by ST9 at Woodlands Industrial Park to be overcrowded.
Over 1,100 workers lived in three factory-converted dorms, more than double the number allowed.
More than 600 workers were also found housed on levels that were not approved for this purpose.
Last year, MOM took action against more than 1,700 employers for failing to provide acceptable accommodation.
So far this year, more than 260 employers have been taken to task for the same offence.
Monday, May 23, 2011
MOM fines dormitory operators
By Mustafa Shafawi
Posted by Channel NewsAsia on 23 May 2011.
SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry (MOM) has fined two dormitory operators a total of S$70,000 for aiding employers put up foreign workers in unacceptable accommodation.
One of them, ST9 Pte Ltd, was fined S$50,000 - the highest to date for the offence.
MOM conducted an inspection at three factory-converted dormitories managed by ST9 at Woodlands Industrial Park in December last year.
It found more than 1,100 foreign workers at the three units.
This was more than double their occupant loads.
More than 600 workers were found staying on levels that were not approved to be used for housing.
The other, Sunhuan Construction, was issued with fines totalling S$20,000.
MOM received feedback from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) which had fined Sunhuan Construction for operating an overcrowded and unsafe workers' dormitory at Tagore Industrial Avenue.
A joint inspection by MOM and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) was conducted in October last year.
During the visit, a total of 377 foreign workers from 12 companies were found residing at the premises.
They had poor living conditions, ventilation and housekeeping.
The workers were living in cramped conditions which compromised their well-being.
Further investigation revealed Sunhuan Construction had provided the accommodation at the premises to its subsidiary companies and sub-contractors, while being aware that it had flouted several rules, including overcrowding.
The site was also illegally operating as a commercial dormitory and utilising space that had not been approved for accommodation purposes.
MOM's divisional director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division Aw Kum Cheong said providing acceptable accommodation is the responsibility of the employer.
He said the ministry will continue to enforce against those who fail to do so, as well as those who profit from providing unacceptable accommodation.
Last year, MOM took enforcement action against more than 1,700 employers for failing to provide acceptable accommodation to their foreign workers.
So far this year, it has taken action against more than 260 employers for the same offence.
-CNA/wk
Posted by Channel NewsAsia on 23 May 2011.
SINGAPORE: The Manpower Ministry (MOM) has fined two dormitory operators a total of S$70,000 for aiding employers put up foreign workers in unacceptable accommodation.
One of them, ST9 Pte Ltd, was fined S$50,000 - the highest to date for the offence.
MOM conducted an inspection at three factory-converted dormitories managed by ST9 at Woodlands Industrial Park in December last year.
It found more than 1,100 foreign workers at the three units.
This was more than double their occupant loads.
More than 600 workers were found staying on levels that were not approved to be used for housing.
The other, Sunhuan Construction, was issued with fines totalling S$20,000.
MOM received feedback from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) which had fined Sunhuan Construction for operating an overcrowded and unsafe workers' dormitory at Tagore Industrial Avenue.
A joint inspection by MOM and the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) was conducted in October last year.
During the visit, a total of 377 foreign workers from 12 companies were found residing at the premises.
They had poor living conditions, ventilation and housekeeping.
The workers were living in cramped conditions which compromised their well-being.
Further investigation revealed Sunhuan Construction had provided the accommodation at the premises to its subsidiary companies and sub-contractors, while being aware that it had flouted several rules, including overcrowding.
The site was also illegally operating as a commercial dormitory and utilising space that had not been approved for accommodation purposes.
MOM's divisional director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division Aw Kum Cheong said providing acceptable accommodation is the responsibility of the employer.
He said the ministry will continue to enforce against those who fail to do so, as well as those who profit from providing unacceptable accommodation.
Last year, MOM took enforcement action against more than 1,700 employers for failing to provide acceptable accommodation to their foreign workers.
So far this year, it has taken action against more than 260 employers for the same offence.
-CNA/wk
Maid in 18-storey death fall
Straits Times, May 23, 2011
AN INDONESIAN maid fell 18 storeys to her death at Goldenhill Park Condominium in Mei Hwan Drive on Saturday.
Ms Titi Lestari, 26, is thought to have lost her balance and fallen while cleaning the windows in the master bedroom in her employer's unit in the Serangoon area.
She was found face-up and bleeding profusely at the foot of Block 60 in the condo at around noon, Chinese-language evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported yesterday.
Witnesses said she had injuries all over her body and was bleeding from her nose.
She was pronounced dead at the scene later, said a police spokesman.
Yesterday morning, the maid's employer and two officials from the Indonesian Embassy were at the mortuary to identify the body. They declined to speak to reporters. The case has been classified as unnatural death.
AN INDONESIAN maid fell 18 storeys to her death at Goldenhill Park Condominium in Mei Hwan Drive on Saturday.
Ms Titi Lestari, 26, is thought to have lost her balance and fallen while cleaning the windows in the master bedroom in her employer's unit in the Serangoon area.
She was found face-up and bleeding profusely at the foot of Block 60 in the condo at around noon, Chinese-language evening daily Lianhe Wanbao reported yesterday.
Witnesses said she had injuries all over her body and was bleeding from her nose.
She was pronounced dead at the scene later, said a police spokesman.
Yesterday morning, the maid's employer and two officials from the Indonesian Embassy were at the mortuary to identify the body. They declined to speak to reporters. The case has been classified as unnatural death.
Saturday, May 21, 2011
Police smash rings trafficking girls to Singapore, China
The following article was posted by Vietnews on May 21, 2011.
Ministry of Public Security police yesterday said they had busted many rings trafficking women abroad, including one that sent 50 women to Singapore. They have arrested 15 people and rescued 17 girls.
The most notable in these rings was one led by Tran Van Tam, 37, and Nguyen Loan Thach, 27, who were seized at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City while carrying out procedures to send 6 girls to Singapore.
This was just one of the many trafficking cases committed by the ring, which had sent a total of 50 women to Singapore with an aim of forcing them to work as prostitutes.
Tam and Thach confessed to the police that they lured those girls to Singapore to seek jobs but in fact they wanted to sell them to brothels.
The ministry said it had coordinated with the Vietnam Interpol Office and police departments of 13 provinces and cities to uncover the large-scale ring.
The ring had have trafficked about 50 girls from Tay Ninh and some other southern provinces to Singapore, police said.
Another leading trafficking ring was led by Pham Thi Thu Huyen and Nguyen Thi Chin, who lured young and beautiful girls to the northern border province of Quang Ninh and then took them to China to sell them to whorehouses.
Those girls are from Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, and Lam Dong provinces, police said.
The police have prosecuted 15 people involved in the trafficking rings and saved 17 girls.
Post from: Tuoi Tre News
Ministry of Public Security police yesterday said they had busted many rings trafficking women abroad, including one that sent 50 women to Singapore. They have arrested 15 people and rescued 17 girls.
The most notable in these rings was one led by Tran Van Tam, 37, and Nguyen Loan Thach, 27, who were seized at Tan Son Nhat Airport in Ho Chi Minh City while carrying out procedures to send 6 girls to Singapore.
This was just one of the many trafficking cases committed by the ring, which had sent a total of 50 women to Singapore with an aim of forcing them to work as prostitutes.
Tam and Thach confessed to the police that they lured those girls to Singapore to seek jobs but in fact they wanted to sell them to brothels.
The ministry said it had coordinated with the Vietnam Interpol Office and police departments of 13 provinces and cities to uncover the large-scale ring.
The ring had have trafficked about 50 girls from Tay Ninh and some other southern provinces to Singapore, police said.
Another leading trafficking ring was led by Pham Thi Thu Huyen and Nguyen Thi Chin, who lured young and beautiful girls to the northern border province of Quang Ninh and then took them to China to sell them to whorehouses.
Those girls are from Quang Ninh, Nam Dinh, Hai Phong, and Lam Dong provinces, police said.
The police have prosecuted 15 people involved in the trafficking rings and saved 17 girls.
Post from: Tuoi Tre News
Friday, May 20, 2011
54 nabbed for overstaying, harbouring illegal immigrants
The following article was published in AsiaOne on Fri, May 20, 2011.
SINGAPORE - In a 10-hour crackdown that lasted from Wednesday, 5pm until the wee hours of early morning on Thursday, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducted a series of island-wide operations on more than 16 locations to arrest immigration offenders and their abettors.
By about 4am the next morning, the ICA officers rounded up a total of 54 offenders ranging between 19 and 75 years old. They included six Singaporeans, four women and two men, who are now being investigated for harbouring and/or employing these foreign immigration offenders.
48 foreigners from Bangladesh, China, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka were also arrested. The 38 men and 10 women were mostly overstayers. A few had run away from their employers.
They admitted that they had come to Singapore to seek illegal employment and that they had no fixed employer. These offenders had been working as general workers, cleaners, odd-job labourers, painters and food stall helpers. Some of the women also admitted to being streetwalkers.
Overstayers who stay in Singapore for more than 90 days and enter illegally face a jail term of up to six months for both genders plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane for male offenders below 50 years old. In lieu of caning, the female offenders shall be sentenced to a fine not exceeding $6,000.
The ICA would like to advise homeowners to exercise due diligence in checking the status of their prospective foreign tenants to ensure that their status in Singapore is legal.
Those who wish to rent their premises to foreigners are required to conduct the three mandatory checks:
- Check his/her ORIGINAL immigration/work pass;
- Cross check the particulars on his/her pass against the particulars on his/her ORIGINAL passport; and
- Verify the validity of his/her pass by checking with the issuing authority (either ICA for student’s pass and visit pass or the Ministry of Manpower for work passes). You can verify the validity of the immigration passes using the ICA online system, iEnquiry, which is available through the ICA website at www.ica.gov.sg
Homeowners who are found guilty of harbouring immigration offenders may be sentenced to an imprisonment of between six months to two years, and a fine not exceeding $6,000.
SINGAPORE - In a 10-hour crackdown that lasted from Wednesday, 5pm until the wee hours of early morning on Thursday, Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) officers conducted a series of island-wide operations on more than 16 locations to arrest immigration offenders and their abettors.
By about 4am the next morning, the ICA officers rounded up a total of 54 offenders ranging between 19 and 75 years old. They included six Singaporeans, four women and two men, who are now being investigated for harbouring and/or employing these foreign immigration offenders.
48 foreigners from Bangladesh, China, Nepal, India and Sri Lanka were also arrested. The 38 men and 10 women were mostly overstayers. A few had run away from their employers.
They admitted that they had come to Singapore to seek illegal employment and that they had no fixed employer. These offenders had been working as general workers, cleaners, odd-job labourers, painters and food stall helpers. Some of the women also admitted to being streetwalkers.
Overstayers who stay in Singapore for more than 90 days and enter illegally face a jail term of up to six months for both genders plus a minimum of three strokes of the cane for male offenders below 50 years old. In lieu of caning, the female offenders shall be sentenced to a fine not exceeding $6,000.
The ICA would like to advise homeowners to exercise due diligence in checking the status of their prospective foreign tenants to ensure that their status in Singapore is legal.
Those who wish to rent their premises to foreigners are required to conduct the three mandatory checks:
- Check his/her ORIGINAL immigration/work pass;
- Cross check the particulars on his/her pass against the particulars on his/her ORIGINAL passport; and
- Verify the validity of his/her pass by checking with the issuing authority (either ICA for student’s pass and visit pass or the Ministry of Manpower for work passes). You can verify the validity of the immigration passes using the ICA online system, iEnquiry, which is available through the ICA website at www.ica.gov.sg
Homeowners who are found guilty of harbouring immigration offenders may be sentenced to an imprisonment of between six months to two years, and a fine not exceeding $6,000.
Wednesday, May 18, 2011
Maid often argued with lover: Friend
Straits Times, May 18, 2011
Woman, whose body was found in tank, had 'near break-ups' with her boyfriend
By Elizabeth Soh
Photo caption: The Bangladeshi cleaner (in police car) is said to have quarrelled with Ms Ruliwayati over her family in Indonesia. They would then patch up after their tiffs. -- PHOTOS: LIANHE WANBAO
IT WAS a tempestuous relationship between two lonely migrant workers.
The 30-year-old Indonesian maid and her 27-year-old Bangladeshi boyfriend were as likely to be seen chatting at the void deck of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73, as having a heated argument.
There were near break-ups - but also subsequent make-ups.
On Monday, the stormy relationship ended for good when the Bangladeshi cleaner allegedly killed Ms Ruliwayati, and then put her body in one of eight water tanks on the roof of Block 686B.
He is believed to have had access to the roof where the tanks are. He has been arrested and is helping the police in their investigations.
Friends of Ms Ruliwayati described her as petite and attractive. They also said she was married and had a son, aged four, back in Indonesia.
Fellow Indonesian maid Yuli Ernawati, 28, who works for a family in a neighbouring block, said Ms Ruliwayati - who, like some Indonesians, goes by only one name - met the Bangladeshi just a month after she started work here in August last year.
'We would sometimes see the man and his friends in the evening, when we went to buy groceries or newspapers from the minimart. They liked each other and started chatting,' she said.
Two Bangladeshi maintenance workers approached by The Straits Times in the minimart yesterday said they knew the suspect and had bought items like bananas and bread at the shop with him, but declined to say more.
A minimart employee said she often saw Ms Ruliwayati in the shop, and that she was less chatty than the other maids and seldom said anything other than 'hello'.
Ms Ernawati, who said it was a near-daily routine for Ms Ruliwayati to go to the minimart for newspapers or canned food for her employers, said: 'When she had time to talk, she would tell me how she missed her child a lot and that she wanted to earn enough money to go home soon.'
She added that Ms Ruliwayati had not wanted to leave Indonesia to come here to work, but had been forced to because of her family's financial problems.
She said the couple often quarrelled at the void deck and in secluded stairwells at the block, and these tiffs revolved around Ms Ruliwayati's family.
Ms Ernawati added that her friend would tell her that she wanted to call off the relationship, but would eventually patch things up with the man.
Officials from the Indonesian Embassy here said they are trying to get in touch with the dead woman's family in Indonesia.
An official was at the mortuary yesterday morning to identify the body.
Ms Ruliwayati's employers, who live on the sixth floor of the block, have declined to speak to reporters.
Woman, whose body was found in tank, had 'near break-ups' with her boyfriend
By Elizabeth Soh
Photo caption: The Bangladeshi cleaner (in police car) is said to have quarrelled with Ms Ruliwayati over her family in Indonesia. They would then patch up after their tiffs. -- PHOTOS: LIANHE WANBAOIT WAS a tempestuous relationship between two lonely migrant workers.
The 30-year-old Indonesian maid and her 27-year-old Bangladeshi boyfriend were as likely to be seen chatting at the void deck of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73, as having a heated argument.
There were near break-ups - but also subsequent make-ups.
On Monday, the stormy relationship ended for good when the Bangladeshi cleaner allegedly killed Ms Ruliwayati, and then put her body in one of eight water tanks on the roof of Block 686B.
He is believed to have had access to the roof where the tanks are. He has been arrested and is helping the police in their investigations.
Friends of Ms Ruliwayati described her as petite and attractive. They also said she was married and had a son, aged four, back in Indonesia.
Fellow Indonesian maid Yuli Ernawati, 28, who works for a family in a neighbouring block, said Ms Ruliwayati - who, like some Indonesians, goes by only one name - met the Bangladeshi just a month after she started work here in August last year.
'We would sometimes see the man and his friends in the evening, when we went to buy groceries or newspapers from the minimart. They liked each other and started chatting,' she said.
Two Bangladeshi maintenance workers approached by The Straits Times in the minimart yesterday said they knew the suspect and had bought items like bananas and bread at the shop with him, but declined to say more.
A minimart employee said she often saw Ms Ruliwayati in the shop, and that she was less chatty than the other maids and seldom said anything other than 'hello'.
Ms Ernawati, who said it was a near-daily routine for Ms Ruliwayati to go to the minimart for newspapers or canned food for her employers, said: 'When she had time to talk, she would tell me how she missed her child a lot and that she wanted to earn enough money to go home soon.'
She added that Ms Ruliwayati had not wanted to leave Indonesia to come here to work, but had been forced to because of her family's financial problems.
She said the couple often quarrelled at the void deck and in secluded stairwells at the block, and these tiffs revolved around Ms Ruliwayati's family.
Ms Ernawati added that her friend would tell her that she wanted to call off the relationship, but would eventually patch things up with the man.
Officials from the Indonesian Embassy here said they are trying to get in touch with the dead woman's family in Indonesia.
An official was at the mortuary yesterday morning to identify the body.
Ms Ruliwayati's employers, who live on the sixth floor of the block, have declined to speak to reporters.
When maids meet workers, sparks often fly
Straits Times, May 18, 2011
By Teh Joo Lin & Mavis Toh
ROMANCES between maids and foreign workers are common - but few problematic cases come to the attention of migrant help groups.
They say maids often open up about other matters such as abusive employers, families back home, and life here, but seldom about matters of the heart.
But these may just be the tip of the iceberg, said Ms Bridget Tan, who has seen fewer than five cases of relationships turned violent in her 13 years of migrant aid work.
Ms Tan, who is the president of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), said: 'They feel that having a boy-girl relationship here is wrong in the first place, so when it turns violent, they are usually not open to telling anyone.'
The latest case of a relationship between a maid and a foreign worker turning violent cropped up on Monday, when the body of an Indonesian maid was found dumped inside a water tank on the rooftop of a housing block in Woodlands.
Indonesian maid Ruliwayati, 30, was involved in an intimate, albeit stormy, relationship with a 27-year-old Bangladeshi cleaner, who has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The case resembles a murder in December 2007, when a 25-year-old Indonesian maid was strangled by her Bangladeshi lover. The 35-year-old foreign worker, who was sentenced to hang, had stuffed her body in a cardboard box and dumped it at an uncompleted condominium along Queensway.
Reacting in shock yesterday to the latest case, seven of the 20 maids that The Straits Times spoke to said that they have been dating in Singapore - a common practice, they added. The partners include men from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, as well as locals.
All seven said their relationships are largely smooth sailing, but they have heard of some that soured and turned violent.
Sparks fly easily. Often, the men approach the women at hang-outs such as Lucky Plaza and City Plaza, chat them up and exchange mobile phone numbers. Many maids respond to the overtures because they crave companionship away from home.
Said a 38-year-old Filipino maid who declined to be named: 'When you don't get a day off, you feel stressed and lonely. So when you do meet someone, it's very easy to get involved.'
Added Filipino maid Wynn Dayao, 30, who has been in a relationship with a Bangladeshi construction worker for the past year: 'He understands what I feel, because he is also a foreigner in Singapore. When I am upset, I can talk to him.'
But beneath the ease with which the lovers hit it off are several factors that complicate matters. Chief among them is the knowledge that the relationship will end when either party's work contract runs out. Many have families back home, so a long-term future is out of the question.
This encourages some lovers to view the relationships as flings, upsetting their partners who may be more deeply involved.
A Filipina, who wanted to be known only as Gracia, said she dated an Indian cleaner some years back and never shared about her life back home.
Said the 32-year-old: 'If not, it makes us sad because we know there is no future.'
Then there are those who string several men along at the same time to milk them for money.
Filipino maid Josie, 40, said: 'A lot of them ask their boyfriends to buy them (mobile prepaid card) top-ups... and they (the foreign workers) are not even earning much. Some of the girls also have other boyfriends at the same time. If the men love the women, they will feel so upset.'
This practice, said an Indonesian maid who declined to be named, resulted in her friend being beaten up by her lover. The 28-year-old woman, who spoke to the man, recalled: 'He told me that it was because he gave my friend a lot of money, but she cheated on him.'
Bangladeshi construction worker Belayet H. Shahab, 35, said that for his friends, the relationships start out as nothing more than fun.
'But when he realises after months that he has no money to pay for his house and children back home, or even food, the problem starts,' he said.
Migrant aid workers said that employers should not overreact by curtailing the free time available to their maids in the hope that they will not get involved in romantic relationships.
Mr John Gee, the former president of Transient Workers Count Too, said: 'Employers have a rather exaggerated fear, and so many don't give helpers a day off.'
He advised employers to communicate and make it clear to their helpers the consequences of getting pregnant or bringing men into their homes.
By Teh Joo Lin & Mavis Toh
ROMANCES between maids and foreign workers are common - but few problematic cases come to the attention of migrant help groups.
They say maids often open up about other matters such as abusive employers, families back home, and life here, but seldom about matters of the heart.
But these may just be the tip of the iceberg, said Ms Bridget Tan, who has seen fewer than five cases of relationships turned violent in her 13 years of migrant aid work.
Ms Tan, who is the president of the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (Home), said: 'They feel that having a boy-girl relationship here is wrong in the first place, so when it turns violent, they are usually not open to telling anyone.'
The latest case of a relationship between a maid and a foreign worker turning violent cropped up on Monday, when the body of an Indonesian maid was found dumped inside a water tank on the rooftop of a housing block in Woodlands.
Indonesian maid Ruliwayati, 30, was involved in an intimate, albeit stormy, relationship with a 27-year-old Bangladeshi cleaner, who has been arrested on suspicion of murder.
The case resembles a murder in December 2007, when a 25-year-old Indonesian maid was strangled by her Bangladeshi lover. The 35-year-old foreign worker, who was sentenced to hang, had stuffed her body in a cardboard box and dumped it at an uncompleted condominium along Queensway.
Reacting in shock yesterday to the latest case, seven of the 20 maids that The Straits Times spoke to said that they have been dating in Singapore - a common practice, they added. The partners include men from Bangladesh, India and Myanmar, as well as locals.
All seven said their relationships are largely smooth sailing, but they have heard of some that soured and turned violent.
Sparks fly easily. Often, the men approach the women at hang-outs such as Lucky Plaza and City Plaza, chat them up and exchange mobile phone numbers. Many maids respond to the overtures because they crave companionship away from home.
Said a 38-year-old Filipino maid who declined to be named: 'When you don't get a day off, you feel stressed and lonely. So when you do meet someone, it's very easy to get involved.'
Added Filipino maid Wynn Dayao, 30, who has been in a relationship with a Bangladeshi construction worker for the past year: 'He understands what I feel, because he is also a foreigner in Singapore. When I am upset, I can talk to him.'
But beneath the ease with which the lovers hit it off are several factors that complicate matters. Chief among them is the knowledge that the relationship will end when either party's work contract runs out. Many have families back home, so a long-term future is out of the question.
This encourages some lovers to view the relationships as flings, upsetting their partners who may be more deeply involved.
A Filipina, who wanted to be known only as Gracia, said she dated an Indian cleaner some years back and never shared about her life back home.
Said the 32-year-old: 'If not, it makes us sad because we know there is no future.'
Then there are those who string several men along at the same time to milk them for money.
Filipino maid Josie, 40, said: 'A lot of them ask their boyfriends to buy them (mobile prepaid card) top-ups... and they (the foreign workers) are not even earning much. Some of the girls also have other boyfriends at the same time. If the men love the women, they will feel so upset.'
This practice, said an Indonesian maid who declined to be named, resulted in her friend being beaten up by her lover. The 28-year-old woman, who spoke to the man, recalled: 'He told me that it was because he gave my friend a lot of money, but she cheated on him.'
Bangladeshi construction worker Belayet H. Shahab, 35, said that for his friends, the relationships start out as nothing more than fun.
'But when he realises after months that he has no money to pay for his house and children back home, or even food, the problem starts,' he said.
Migrant aid workers said that employers should not overreact by curtailing the free time available to their maids in the hope that they will not get involved in romantic relationships.
Mr John Gee, the former president of Transient Workers Count Too, said: 'Employers have a rather exaggerated fear, and so many don't give helpers a day off.'
He advised employers to communicate and make it clear to their helpers the consequences of getting pregnant or bringing men into their homes.
Tuesday, May 17, 2011
Maid's body found in HDB water tank
Straits Times, May 17, 2011
By Elizabeth Soh & Kimberly Spykerman
Photo caption: Police on the roof of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73, where the body of an Indonesian maid was found in a water tank. Police have not released the name of the maid. -- ST PHOTOS: CAROLINE CHIA
SOME residents of a block of Housing Board flats in Woodlands were greeted with an unusual sight when they turned on their taps yesterday morning.
The water was slightly yellowish and appeared unnaturally foamy.
Some assumed that the water pipes were malfunctioning. At least four residents of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73, called the Sembawang Town Council to complain.
First their water supply was cut off at 11am. Then they were told that 'maintenance work' was being done.
It was only later in the day that the horrifying news spread: A 30-year-old Indonesian maid working there had been found dead in one of eight water tanks atop the 15-storey block.
A 27-year-old Bangladeshi maintenance worker was arrested nearby in connection with the woman's death. They were believed to have been in an intimate relationship.
Some residents recalled hearing screams and a couple arguing loudly in the morning, but they did not call the police, thinking it was a domestic problem.
It was the discoloured tap water that made residents wonder.
Suspect a worker who had access to roof
Retiree Choi Ah Moi, 69, who lives on the 11th storey, said she had noticed that the tap water was 'bubbly'.
After she found out what had happened, she said: 'This is so disgusting. My whole family finished a big pot of green bean soup I cooked this morning.'
Housewife Ally Lee, 33, said her maid used the water to cook noodles for her seven-year-old daughter at 7.30am. 'I think I'm going to take my daughter to the doctor,' she said.
Among those who said they heard screaming at about 7am was Mrs Eadelyn Tan, 36, who lives on the seventh floor.
'After the screaming stopped, I went out of my flat to the landing and I saw bloodstains in the lift and blood droplets on the stairs,' she said. But she did not call the police.
It was about 10am when the police received a call informing them that there was a body in a water tank at the block. The call is believed to have been made by a colleague of the Bangladeshi suspect.
Police, who found the dead woman in a 2m-deep tank, did not release her name yesterday.
The woman worked for a family on the sixth floor. She was found dressed in bermudas and a T-shirt and appeared to have cuts on her back.
The cause of death has not been determined.
The suspect is an employee of Sergent Services Pte Ltd, which offers conservancy services. As one of the maintenance workers assigned to the area, he had access to the roof.
Onlookers said he appeared to be limping and had cuts on his leg when he was led away by policemen at 10.40am.
The PUB said in a statement last night that it received a report of the incident at 3.30pm.
A PUB spokesman said that as soon as the town council knew of the incident, it stopped water supply from all eight rooftop tanks serving the block and provided residents with other sources of water at the void deck.
PUB officers also went to hand out water bags and sent a water tanker there.
The spokesman said: 'The town council is currently flushing/washing/sterilising the tanks and distribution pipes. Water supply is expected to be restored by midnight.'
Mr Soon Min Sin, the general manager of the town council, said that all eight tanks had to be flushed and sterilised as they were connected.
The tanks serve 124 of the 149 units in the block of four- and five-room flats. Twenty-five flats on the first three floors get their water supply piped in by the PUB.
Residents said their water supply was cut off at about 11am. At about 12.30pm, they received a town council notice informing them that the disruption was due to 'maintenance works' at the block.
Asked about the information given to residents, the town council's Mr Soon would only say: 'Our priority was to protect the residents and cut off the water supply for their safety.'
He said the town council would leave the police to investigate. 'Once the investigation is concluded, we will let residents know,' he added.
Among residents seen filling up pails of water at the void deck was housewife Yasmin Abdul, 35, who said she threw away a pot of freshly-made soup after she heard about the body.
'I am very upset and angry that the town council did not explain properly what had happened,' she said. 'This is just too scary.'
Mr Vikram Nair, a newly elected MP for Sembawang GRC, visited residents last night.
He said the police would investigate how the suspect gained access to the water tank.
'Once we get the full picture, we will put in measures to prevent it from happening again,' said Mr Nair, who assured residents that water supply would resume.
NO EXPLANATION
'I am very upset and angry that the town council did not explain properly what had happened. This is just too scary.'
Housewife Yasmin Abdul, 35
Additional reporting by Melissa Pang and Grace Chua
Any health risk? It depends on the facts
A DOCTOR specialising in infectious diseases advised residents of the Woodlands block where a body was found in a water tank to stay calm as the full facts were not yet known.
Two critical issues were: how long the body was in the tank and the extent of decomposition.
The doctor said that if a body was submerged for more than 24 hours, there could be bacterial contamination caused by decomposition and the water would smell too.
But information pieced together from residents of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73 yesterday suggests that the body might have been in the tank for only a few hours.
Some said they heard screams at 7am, and the police were informed about the body at 10am. Water supply from the rooftop tanks was cut off at 11am.
The doctor who spoke to The Straits Times said: 'If there is bacterial contamination of the water, those who drink the water may experience symptoms such as stomach ache, diarrhoea and vomiting.'
None of the residents interviewed had such symptoms. While some noticed that the water was discoloured or 'bubbly', nobody complained of smell.
By Elizabeth Soh & Kimberly Spykerman
Photo caption: Police on the roof of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73, where the body of an Indonesian maid was found in a water tank. Police have not released the name of the maid. -- ST PHOTOS: CAROLINE CHIASOME residents of a block of Housing Board flats in Woodlands were greeted with an unusual sight when they turned on their taps yesterday morning.
The water was slightly yellowish and appeared unnaturally foamy.
Some assumed that the water pipes were malfunctioning. At least four residents of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73, called the Sembawang Town Council to complain.
First their water supply was cut off at 11am. Then they were told that 'maintenance work' was being done.
It was only later in the day that the horrifying news spread: A 30-year-old Indonesian maid working there had been found dead in one of eight water tanks atop the 15-storey block.
A 27-year-old Bangladeshi maintenance worker was arrested nearby in connection with the woman's death. They were believed to have been in an intimate relationship.
Some residents recalled hearing screams and a couple arguing loudly in the morning, but they did not call the police, thinking it was a domestic problem.
It was the discoloured tap water that made residents wonder.
Suspect a worker who had access to roof
Retiree Choi Ah Moi, 69, who lives on the 11th storey, said she had noticed that the tap water was 'bubbly'.
After she found out what had happened, she said: 'This is so disgusting. My whole family finished a big pot of green bean soup I cooked this morning.'
Housewife Ally Lee, 33, said her maid used the water to cook noodles for her seven-year-old daughter at 7.30am. 'I think I'm going to take my daughter to the doctor,' she said.
Among those who said they heard screaming at about 7am was Mrs Eadelyn Tan, 36, who lives on the seventh floor.
'After the screaming stopped, I went out of my flat to the landing and I saw bloodstains in the lift and blood droplets on the stairs,' she said. But she did not call the police.
It was about 10am when the police received a call informing them that there was a body in a water tank at the block. The call is believed to have been made by a colleague of the Bangladeshi suspect.
Police, who found the dead woman in a 2m-deep tank, did not release her name yesterday.
The woman worked for a family on the sixth floor. She was found dressed in bermudas and a T-shirt and appeared to have cuts on her back.
The cause of death has not been determined.
The suspect is an employee of Sergent Services Pte Ltd, which offers conservancy services. As one of the maintenance workers assigned to the area, he had access to the roof.
Onlookers said he appeared to be limping and had cuts on his leg when he was led away by policemen at 10.40am.
The PUB said in a statement last night that it received a report of the incident at 3.30pm.
A PUB spokesman said that as soon as the town council knew of the incident, it stopped water supply from all eight rooftop tanks serving the block and provided residents with other sources of water at the void deck.
PUB officers also went to hand out water bags and sent a water tanker there.
The spokesman said: 'The town council is currently flushing/washing/sterilising the tanks and distribution pipes. Water supply is expected to be restored by midnight.'
Mr Soon Min Sin, the general manager of the town council, said that all eight tanks had to be flushed and sterilised as they were connected.
The tanks serve 124 of the 149 units in the block of four- and five-room flats. Twenty-five flats on the first three floors get their water supply piped in by the PUB.
Residents said their water supply was cut off at about 11am. At about 12.30pm, they received a town council notice informing them that the disruption was due to 'maintenance works' at the block.
Asked about the information given to residents, the town council's Mr Soon would only say: 'Our priority was to protect the residents and cut off the water supply for their safety.'
He said the town council would leave the police to investigate. 'Once the investigation is concluded, we will let residents know,' he added.
Among residents seen filling up pails of water at the void deck was housewife Yasmin Abdul, 35, who said she threw away a pot of freshly-made soup after she heard about the body.
'I am very upset and angry that the town council did not explain properly what had happened,' she said. 'This is just too scary.'
Mr Vikram Nair, a newly elected MP for Sembawang GRC, visited residents last night.
He said the police would investigate how the suspect gained access to the water tank.
'Once we get the full picture, we will put in measures to prevent it from happening again,' said Mr Nair, who assured residents that water supply would resume.
NO EXPLANATION
'I am very upset and angry that the town council did not explain properly what had happened. This is just too scary.'
Housewife Yasmin Abdul, 35
Additional reporting by Melissa Pang and Grace Chua
Any health risk? It depends on the facts
A DOCTOR specialising in infectious diseases advised residents of the Woodlands block where a body was found in a water tank to stay calm as the full facts were not yet known.
Two critical issues were: how long the body was in the tank and the extent of decomposition.
The doctor said that if a body was submerged for more than 24 hours, there could be bacterial contamination caused by decomposition and the water would smell too.
But information pieced together from residents of Block 686B, Woodlands Drive 73 yesterday suggests that the body might have been in the tank for only a few hours.
Some said they heard screams at 7am, and the police were informed about the body at 10am. Water supply from the rooftop tanks was cut off at 11am.
The doctor who spoke to The Straits Times said: 'If there is bacterial contamination of the water, those who drink the water may experience symptoms such as stomach ache, diarrhoea and vomiting.'
None of the residents interviewed had such symptoms. While some noticed that the water was discoloured or 'bubbly', nobody complained of smell.
Saturday, May 14, 2011
Maid pay hike: 16 agencies face fines
Straits Times, May 14, 2011
They have until June 27 to prove they did not engage in price-fixing
By Amanda Tan
SIXTEEN maid agencies have been accused of engaging in price-fixing by meeting to discuss a collective pay increase for new Indonesian maids, from $380 to $450 a month.
They now have until June 27 to prove otherwise to the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) or face a fine, a CCS statement said yesterday.
The 16 agencies include major players such as Nation Employment, Best Home Employment Agency and Homekeeper International.
Employment agencies should determine the salaries of new Indonesian maids independently, 'without discussion or agreement with any other employment agency', said the CCS statement.
It was first reported in February that the anti-competition watchdog was investigating the agencies, which reportedly met in January to discuss the pay rise to ease a supply crunch that had arisen because of competing demand from other countries.
A Proposed Infringement Decision was issued to the agencies yesterday, asking them to present their arguments before the CCS makes a final decision.
In the letter, the agencies were notified of the fine they could expect to pay if they were found to have infringed anti-competition rules.
The Straits Times understands that most of the 16 agencies are trying to decide what to do next. But at least one agent has decided he will not submit any appeal, and will pay the imposed fine - believed to be in the thousands.
It is understood that the fine differs from agency to agency. 'Financial penalties are calculated based on the relevant turnover from new Indonesian maids, the seriousness of the infringement and other aggravating or mitigating factors,' said a CCS spokesman.
One agent, who declined to be named, said: 'We have not profited from this. Moreover, we stopped using $450 as the benchmark within three, four days of being warned, so why are we being fined for all these months of wrongdoing?'
A lawyer, who gave his opinion on condition of anonymity because the case is still open, said: 'Technically, it doesn't matter if the parties profit from it or not, although they may raise it as mitigation. CCS will just have to consider the impact on competition, including the impact consumers face as a result of the arrangement.'
Some agencies, which were not among the 16 agencies being probed, have since adjusted the pay of maids. Employers now pay about $400 to hire a new Indonesian helper, up from $360 previously, said Mr Allan Seow, manager of maid agency FME Management.
When contacted, the Ministry of Manpower said it would not comment at this stage 'as CCS has yet to finalise its decision'.
The maid agencies
# Arrow Employment
# Best Home Employment Agency
# Comfort Employment
# Crislo Employment Agency
# Crislo Resources
# Homekeeper International
# Jack Focus
# Javamaids
# JPB International Services
# Maid Management Services
# Nation Employment
# Net Resources Recruitment
# Nora Employment Agency
# SLF Green Maid Agency
# Swift Personnel
# TM Global HR Consultancy
Additional reporting by Melissa Kok and Neo Wen Tong
They have until June 27 to prove they did not engage in price-fixing
By Amanda Tan
SIXTEEN maid agencies have been accused of engaging in price-fixing by meeting to discuss a collective pay increase for new Indonesian maids, from $380 to $450 a month.
They now have until June 27 to prove otherwise to the Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) or face a fine, a CCS statement said yesterday.
The 16 agencies include major players such as Nation Employment, Best Home Employment Agency and Homekeeper International.
Employment agencies should determine the salaries of new Indonesian maids independently, 'without discussion or agreement with any other employment agency', said the CCS statement.
It was first reported in February that the anti-competition watchdog was investigating the agencies, which reportedly met in January to discuss the pay rise to ease a supply crunch that had arisen because of competing demand from other countries.
A Proposed Infringement Decision was issued to the agencies yesterday, asking them to present their arguments before the CCS makes a final decision.
In the letter, the agencies were notified of the fine they could expect to pay if they were found to have infringed anti-competition rules.
The Straits Times understands that most of the 16 agencies are trying to decide what to do next. But at least one agent has decided he will not submit any appeal, and will pay the imposed fine - believed to be in the thousands.
It is understood that the fine differs from agency to agency. 'Financial penalties are calculated based on the relevant turnover from new Indonesian maids, the seriousness of the infringement and other aggravating or mitigating factors,' said a CCS spokesman.
One agent, who declined to be named, said: 'We have not profited from this. Moreover, we stopped using $450 as the benchmark within three, four days of being warned, so why are we being fined for all these months of wrongdoing?'
A lawyer, who gave his opinion on condition of anonymity because the case is still open, said: 'Technically, it doesn't matter if the parties profit from it or not, although they may raise it as mitigation. CCS will just have to consider the impact on competition, including the impact consumers face as a result of the arrangement.'
Some agencies, which were not among the 16 agencies being probed, have since adjusted the pay of maids. Employers now pay about $400 to hire a new Indonesian helper, up from $360 previously, said Mr Allan Seow, manager of maid agency FME Management.
When contacted, the Ministry of Manpower said it would not comment at this stage 'as CCS has yet to finalise its decision'.
The maid agencies
# Arrow Employment
# Best Home Employment Agency
# Comfort Employment
# Crislo Employment Agency
# Crislo Resources
# Homekeeper International
# Jack Focus
# Javamaids
# JPB International Services
# Maid Management Services
# Nation Employment
# Net Resources Recruitment
# Nora Employment Agency
# SLF Green Maid Agency
# Swift Personnel
# TM Global HR Consultancy
Additional reporting by Melissa Kok and Neo Wen Tong
Flammable vapours may have caused fire
Straits Times, May 14, 2011
TUAS SHIPYARD EXPLOSION
Likely to have come from spray-painting work, says MOM probe
By Carolyn Quek
Photo caption: Mr Zainudin Wan Jusoh (above) and Mr Hassan Mainul were killed in the explosion.
THE presence of flammable vapours may have led to a flash fire and explosion which killed two foreign workers at a Benoi Road shipyard on Thursday.
In making known preliminary investigations yesterday, the Manpower Ministry (MOM) said flammable vapours were detected at the barge where the incident happened at 1.20pm, killing a 43-year- old Malaysian and 20-year-old Bangladeshi.
These vapours were likely to be from spray-painting work carried out on the barge three days before the blast.
The ministry added that it tore apart four of the 14 tank compartments that the 50m long barge was made of.
The compartments were empty and meant to help the barge float on water.
The explosion also ripped out the metal wall panels of a workshop 5m from the barge. About 10 workers were in the facility then and some suffered scratches.
The MOM said its Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate will next focus on establishing if the flammable vapours had fuelled the flash fire that led to the blast. It will also be investigating if hot works had been carried out before the blast.
The flat-bottomed vessel was being lengthened at the Haosen Marine shipyard in Benoi Road.
The ministry said the Malaysian worker, Mr Zainudin Wan Jusoh, who was working on top of the barge, was thrown off when the explosion occurred.
The Haosen Marine worker is believed to have been checking for leaks at one of the tank compartments and making sure it was water-tight.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Hassan Mainul, who worked for New Millenium Construction, happened to be near the barge when the incident happened. The MOM is still trying to find out why Mr Mainul - who had been working in Singapore for only three months - was at the site.
Workplace Safety and Health Commissioner Ho Siong Hin urged employers and workers to remain vigilant and do their part to prevent workplace accidents.
'The two workers who died in the tragic accident had families, colleagues and friends who are now mourning the sudden loss of their loved ones,' he said.
'Accidents occur when safe work procedures are not followed due to complacency or when rushing jobs,' he added.
The two deaths on Thursday have dented progress by employers and workers to keep workplaces fatality-free.
There were 55 workplace fatalities last year - a six-year low - while workplace injury cases fell to 10,319, a 5 per cent drop from 2009.
TUAS SHIPYARD EXPLOSION
Likely to have come from spray-painting work, says MOM probe
By Carolyn Quek
Photo caption: Mr Zainudin Wan Jusoh (above) and Mr Hassan Mainul were killed in the explosion.THE presence of flammable vapours may have led to a flash fire and explosion which killed two foreign workers at a Benoi Road shipyard on Thursday.
In making known preliminary investigations yesterday, the Manpower Ministry (MOM) said flammable vapours were detected at the barge where the incident happened at 1.20pm, killing a 43-year- old Malaysian and 20-year-old Bangladeshi.
These vapours were likely to be from spray-painting work carried out on the barge three days before the blast.
The ministry added that it tore apart four of the 14 tank compartments that the 50m long barge was made of.
The compartments were empty and meant to help the barge float on water.
The explosion also ripped out the metal wall panels of a workshop 5m from the barge. About 10 workers were in the facility then and some suffered scratches.
The MOM said its Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate will next focus on establishing if the flammable vapours had fuelled the flash fire that led to the blast. It will also be investigating if hot works had been carried out before the blast.
The flat-bottomed vessel was being lengthened at the Haosen Marine shipyard in Benoi Road.
The ministry said the Malaysian worker, Mr Zainudin Wan Jusoh, who was working on top of the barge, was thrown off when the explosion occurred.
The Haosen Marine worker is believed to have been checking for leaks at one of the tank compartments and making sure it was water-tight.
Meanwhile, Bangladeshi Hassan Mainul, who worked for New Millenium Construction, happened to be near the barge when the incident happened. The MOM is still trying to find out why Mr Mainul - who had been working in Singapore for only three months - was at the site.
Workplace Safety and Health Commissioner Ho Siong Hin urged employers and workers to remain vigilant and do their part to prevent workplace accidents.
'The two workers who died in the tragic accident had families, colleagues and friends who are now mourning the sudden loss of their loved ones,' he said.
'Accidents occur when safe work procedures are not followed due to complacency or when rushing jobs,' he added.
The two deaths on Thursday have dented progress by employers and workers to keep workplaces fatality-free.
There were 55 workplace fatalities last year - a six-year low - while workplace injury cases fell to 10,319, a 5 per cent drop from 2009.
Blast victim's family faces bleak future
Straits Times, May 14, 2011
tuas shipyard explosion
Blast victim's family faces bleak future
By Jalelah Abu Baker & Elizabeth Soh
Photo caption: Madam Asiah, 47, with her children, Khadija Athirah, seven, and Abu Bakar Aiman, eight, at their Johor Baru home. The family has very little in savings. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSIN
THE biggest worry now for the widow of the Malaysian killed in a barge blast in Tuas on Thursday is how she can support herself and her two children.
Right now, Madam Asiah Abu Bakar's plan is to move to her parents' place in Mersing, Johor, with her children, aged seven and eight, and rent out the family home in Johor Baru to earn some income.
For the 47-year-old housewife, everything else is overshadowed by the pain of losing her husband of 13 years, Mr Zainudin Wan Jusoh, 43.
The shipyard blast also killed a 20-year-old Bangladeshi.
Madam Asiah has not slept and has been crying since hearing of her husband's death at his Benoi Road workplace. A family friend broke the news to her about two hours after the incident.
When The Straits Times visited the family yesterday, her two children were playing with their cousins, seemingly oblivious to the loss.
Their mother was slumped against the wall of the living room, barely able to speak. About 40 relatives milled about, keeping vigil with her as she waited for her husband's body to arrive.
When his body was borne onto the front porch of the one-storey terrace house, she fainted, was revived and then collapsed again - all before seeing his face.
She had to be carried into the house, and has still not recovered from the shock, a neighbour said.
Mr Zainudin was buried in Mersing last night.
Madam Asiah told The Straits Times earlier that she has very little in savings. Most of her husband's monthly salary of about $2,000 had gone towards the children's upkeep.
She has asked family members whether she will receive compensation, but has been too distraught to contact her husband's employer, Haosen Marine.
The family moved into their home just 11/2 years ago. It cost RM133,000 (about $54,900), and less than half of that sum has been paid up.
Mr Zainudin had worked in Singapore on a contract basis for almost 15 years, the last seven months as a welder for Haosen.
Madam Asiah said he had been a caring husband and father. Even though he had to leave for Singapore at 6am every day, he would always return by 10pm to spend time with his children.
The body of the Bangladeshi, Mr Hasan Mainul, an employee of New Millenium Construction, will be repatriated today.
His brother, Mr Kamrul Hasan, 22, who works here, told The Straits Times their mother was devastated. Mr Kamrul broke down at the mortuary yesterday when he went to identify the body.
When contacted yesterday, Haosen Marine and New Millenium declined to comment.
tuas shipyard explosion
Blast victim's family faces bleak future
By Jalelah Abu Baker & Elizabeth Soh
Photo caption: Madam Asiah, 47, with her children, Khadija Athirah, seven, and Abu Bakar Aiman, eight, at their Johor Baru home. The family has very little in savings. -- ST PHOTO: AZIZ HUSSINTHE biggest worry now for the widow of the Malaysian killed in a barge blast in Tuas on Thursday is how she can support herself and her two children.
Right now, Madam Asiah Abu Bakar's plan is to move to her parents' place in Mersing, Johor, with her children, aged seven and eight, and rent out the family home in Johor Baru to earn some income.
For the 47-year-old housewife, everything else is overshadowed by the pain of losing her husband of 13 years, Mr Zainudin Wan Jusoh, 43.
The shipyard blast also killed a 20-year-old Bangladeshi.
Madam Asiah has not slept and has been crying since hearing of her husband's death at his Benoi Road workplace. A family friend broke the news to her about two hours after the incident.
When The Straits Times visited the family yesterday, her two children were playing with their cousins, seemingly oblivious to the loss.
Their mother was slumped against the wall of the living room, barely able to speak. About 40 relatives milled about, keeping vigil with her as she waited for her husband's body to arrive.
When his body was borne onto the front porch of the one-storey terrace house, she fainted, was revived and then collapsed again - all before seeing his face.
She had to be carried into the house, and has still not recovered from the shock, a neighbour said.
Mr Zainudin was buried in Mersing last night.
Madam Asiah told The Straits Times earlier that she has very little in savings. Most of her husband's monthly salary of about $2,000 had gone towards the children's upkeep.
She has asked family members whether she will receive compensation, but has been too distraught to contact her husband's employer, Haosen Marine.
The family moved into their home just 11/2 years ago. It cost RM133,000 (about $54,900), and less than half of that sum has been paid up.
Mr Zainudin had worked in Singapore on a contract basis for almost 15 years, the last seven months as a welder for Haosen.
Madam Asiah said he had been a caring husband and father. Even though he had to leave for Singapore at 6am every day, he would always return by 10pm to spend time with his children.
The body of the Bangladeshi, Mr Hasan Mainul, an employee of New Millenium Construction, will be repatriated today.
His brother, Mr Kamrul Hasan, 22, who works here, told The Straits Times their mother was devastated. Mr Kamrul broke down at the mortuary yesterday when he went to identify the body.
When contacted yesterday, Haosen Marine and New Millenium declined to comment.
Friday, May 13, 2011
Blast at Benoi Road kills two
by Neo Chai Chin
TODAY, May 13, 2011
SINGAPORE - He met his nephew on Sunday in Serangoon, where he advised the 20-year-old Bangladeshi to adhere to safety rules here.
Now, Mr Mosleh Uddin's nephew is dead, three months after arriving in Singapore, the victim of a blast that killed another worker, a 43-year-old Malaysian, and shook a Benoi Road shipyard and its surroundings just after lunch yesterday.
The men had been working on a barge undergoing maintenance and were pronounced dead by paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force, which received a call from the public at 1.23pm.
The blast shook neighbouring buildings and shattered their windows. An employee of marine repairs firm Goltens across the road said the ceiling boards of her office began falling off. Over 200 Goltens employees could not resume work due to safety concerns and were released early.
According to preliminary investigations by the Manpower Ministry's Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, the two victims were assigned to check for leaks in one of the barge's tank compartments at 3 Benoi Road, which is occupied by a company called Haosen Marine.
But Mr Mosleh, 32, who arrived at the scene at about 7pm, said his nephew Hassan Mainul was employed by New Millenium Construction. The construction supervisor, who works at another company, said his nephew had just finished his higher secondary education and was a good welder. When they met days earlier, Mr Hassan passed him S$888 to send home, but he told his nephew to keep S$100 for his own expenses.
Describing his nephew as a "very handsome boy", Mr Mosleh said he had helped arrange for his visa to Singapore. "I bring him here for job to grow his life better. I can't believe myself," he said in halting English.
Then, he broke down as he told reporters he had not yet informed his sister about her son's death. "I take (him) from my sister. I can't return to my sister - look like I kill him," he said.
Mr Hassan was earning about S$1,000 monthly and his older brother, 22, also works here. Mr Mosleh said he would speak to Mr Hassan's employer about sending the body home and also about insurance claims.
The SCDF said investigations into the incident are in progress. There was no fire when SCDF officers arrived and they searched the premises for anyone who might have been trapped or injured.
The MOM said some workers at the shipyard suffered minor injuries but were not hospitalised. The ministry has ordered all work to stop at 3 Benoi Road as they have also launched an investigation.
Several experienced workers from neighbouring shipyards told MediaCorp that air pressure is commonly used to test barges on dry land for leakage, before the vessels are undocked onto water.
The site of yesterday's tragedy appears to be involved in legal proceedings. Pasted at its entrance was a notice of eviction issued by the Supreme Court. Also spotted were High Court papers to recover possession of the land at 3 Benoi Road, filed by the JTC Corporation to more than 10 parties, including Haosen Marine.
TODAY, May 13, 2011
SINGAPORE - He met his nephew on Sunday in Serangoon, where he advised the 20-year-old Bangladeshi to adhere to safety rules here.
Now, Mr Mosleh Uddin's nephew is dead, three months after arriving in Singapore, the victim of a blast that killed another worker, a 43-year-old Malaysian, and shook a Benoi Road shipyard and its surroundings just after lunch yesterday.
The men had been working on a barge undergoing maintenance and were pronounced dead by paramedics from the Singapore Civil Defence Force, which received a call from the public at 1.23pm.
The blast shook neighbouring buildings and shattered their windows. An employee of marine repairs firm Goltens across the road said the ceiling boards of her office began falling off. Over 200 Goltens employees could not resume work due to safety concerns and were released early.
According to preliminary investigations by the Manpower Ministry's Occupational Safety and Health Inspectorate, the two victims were assigned to check for leaks in one of the barge's tank compartments at 3 Benoi Road, which is occupied by a company called Haosen Marine.
But Mr Mosleh, 32, who arrived at the scene at about 7pm, said his nephew Hassan Mainul was employed by New Millenium Construction. The construction supervisor, who works at another company, said his nephew had just finished his higher secondary education and was a good welder. When they met days earlier, Mr Hassan passed him S$888 to send home, but he told his nephew to keep S$100 for his own expenses.
Describing his nephew as a "very handsome boy", Mr Mosleh said he had helped arrange for his visa to Singapore. "I bring him here for job to grow his life better. I can't believe myself," he said in halting English.
Then, he broke down as he told reporters he had not yet informed his sister about her son's death. "I take (him) from my sister. I can't return to my sister - look like I kill him," he said.
Mr Hassan was earning about S$1,000 monthly and his older brother, 22, also works here. Mr Mosleh said he would speak to Mr Hassan's employer about sending the body home and also about insurance claims.
The SCDF said investigations into the incident are in progress. There was no fire when SCDF officers arrived and they searched the premises for anyone who might have been trapped or injured.
The MOM said some workers at the shipyard suffered minor injuries but were not hospitalised. The ministry has ordered all work to stop at 3 Benoi Road as they have also launched an investigation.
Several experienced workers from neighbouring shipyards told MediaCorp that air pressure is commonly used to test barges on dry land for leakage, before the vessels are undocked onto water.
The site of yesterday's tragedy appears to be involved in legal proceedings. Pasted at its entrance was a notice of eviction issued by the Supreme Court. Also spotted were High Court papers to recover possession of the land at 3 Benoi Road, filed by the JTC Corporation to more than 10 parties, including Haosen Marine.
Man jailed two months for bribery
by Shaffiq Alkhatib
TODAY, May 13, 2011
SINGAPORE - The director of a recruitment company dealing with foreign workers was yesterday jailed two months after giving bribes totalling S$140,000 on Nov 20, 2007.
Tan Cheng Hock, 50, from AA Recruitment Network, handed over the money to Loke Geok Nee, 37, a former human resource officer at hard drive manufacturer Seagate Technology.
Loke was sentenced to seven months' jail last year.
The court heard that Tan gave her the bribe in return for her help in securing a tender with Seagate.
Loke had given him advice on how AA Recruitment should deal with her then-employer. She also vetted Tan's draft proposal before it was submitted to Seagate.
Tan gave her the money after his company won the tender - S$1,000 for every foreign worker it recruited on Seagate's behalf.
TODAY, May 13, 2011
SINGAPORE - The director of a recruitment company dealing with foreign workers was yesterday jailed two months after giving bribes totalling S$140,000 on Nov 20, 2007.
Tan Cheng Hock, 50, from AA Recruitment Network, handed over the money to Loke Geok Nee, 37, a former human resource officer at hard drive manufacturer Seagate Technology.
Loke was sentenced to seven months' jail last year.
The court heard that Tan gave her the bribe in return for her help in securing a tender with Seagate.
Loke had given him advice on how AA Recruitment should deal with her then-employer. She also vetted Tan's draft proposal before it was submitted to Seagate.
Tan gave her the money after his company won the tender - S$1,000 for every foreign worker it recruited on Seagate's behalf.
Recruiting agency boss jailed for graft
Straits Times, May 13, 2011
He gave $140,000 to Seagate HR officer to clinch contract
A DIRECTOR of a recruitment agency, who gave a $140,000 bribe to a human resource officer so she would favour his company, was jailed for two months yesterday.
Tan Cheng Hock, 50, had pleaded guilty to giving the sum to Ms Loke Geok Nee, then a senior human resource staffing administrator at hard-disk drive maker Seagate Technology International, in November 2007.
Ms Loke, now 37, has been dealt with; she has served a seven-month jail term for corruption.
In her position in Seagate at the time, she handled the recruitment and orientation of local and foreign workers and the selection and appointment of agencies that recruited workers for Seagate.
She was rewarded by Tan when his company, AA Recruitment Network, clinched a Seagate contract to supply foreign workers from China.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jesintha Veijaratnam said that, between April and June 2007, Tan approached her and said he was keen on having his company work for Seagate.
In August that year, AA Recruitment took part in a tender called by Seagate among its approved contractors to get Chinese nationals to work here.
Ms Loke even vetted Tan's draft proposal before it was submitted to Seagate.
A week later, he offered to pay her $1,000 for each foreign worker recruited if he got the contract.
As it turned out, AA Recruitment was awarded the tender, and went on to recruit 140 China nationals for Seagate.
On the day of the payoff, Tan met her in a coffee shop in Woodlands Civic Centre and passed her the money in a paper bag.
A second charge, that of giving her a $780 watch, was considered.
He could have been fined up to $100,000 and/or jailed for up to five years.
ELENA CHONG
He gave $140,000 to Seagate HR officer to clinch contract
A DIRECTOR of a recruitment agency, who gave a $140,000 bribe to a human resource officer so she would favour his company, was jailed for two months yesterday.
Tan Cheng Hock, 50, had pleaded guilty to giving the sum to Ms Loke Geok Nee, then a senior human resource staffing administrator at hard-disk drive maker Seagate Technology International, in November 2007.
Ms Loke, now 37, has been dealt with; she has served a seven-month jail term for corruption.
In her position in Seagate at the time, she handled the recruitment and orientation of local and foreign workers and the selection and appointment of agencies that recruited workers for Seagate.
She was rewarded by Tan when his company, AA Recruitment Network, clinched a Seagate contract to supply foreign workers from China.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Jesintha Veijaratnam said that, between April and June 2007, Tan approached her and said he was keen on having his company work for Seagate.
In August that year, AA Recruitment took part in a tender called by Seagate among its approved contractors to get Chinese nationals to work here.
Ms Loke even vetted Tan's draft proposal before it was submitted to Seagate.
A week later, he offered to pay her $1,000 for each foreign worker recruited if he got the contract.
As it turned out, AA Recruitment was awarded the tender, and went on to recruit 140 China nationals for Seagate.
On the day of the payoff, Tan met her in a coffee shop in Woodlands Civic Centre and passed her the money in a paper bag.
A second charge, that of giving her a $780 watch, was considered.
He could have been fined up to $100,000 and/or jailed for up to five years.
ELENA CHONG
Two workers killed in shipyard blast
Straits Times, May 13, 2011
Explosion believed to be caused by sudden release of compressed air
By Jalelah Abu Baker & Elizabeth Soh
Photo caption: Police and undertakers carrying the body of one of the two dead workers (above) and placing it in a van. The fatal blast split a flat-bottomed barge into two, causing it to flip over. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HE
TWO foreign workers died after an explosion rocked a shipyard in Tuas, with the blast felt even 3km away.
The explosion at about 1.20pm yesterday at the UDL Shipyard in Benoi Road split a flat-bottom barge into two, causing it to flip over.
The explosion also ripped out the metal walls and part of the roof of a workshop beside the barge, and shattered the windscreens of vehicles, and windows in adjacent buildings.
The incident is believed to have occurred when the victims, 43-year-old Malaysian Zainudin Wan Jusoh and 20-year-old Bangladeshi Hasan Mainul, were conducting checks for leaks in one of the barge's tank compartments.
Their bodies were recovered near the barge, estimated to be about 100m long and about 10m tall.
The explosion is said to have been caused by a sudden burst of compressed air during air testing, a process used to maintain the water-tightness of a barge.
The loud impact sent about 100 workers from nearby companies scrambling out of their premises.
Among them was Mr Karuppiah Thangamani, 31, a tyreman who works at a company opposite the accident site.
'Everything was shaking, it was like an earthquake,' he said.
Hundreds of others, some from as far as 3km away, converged on the scene after being jolted by a sound which they described as loud as a bomb explosion.
Safety was the main concern for the management at Goltens, a company opposite the shipyard. All its 147 employees were sent home.
The metal ceiling at one of the company's buildings was reduced to dangling strips, and windows were shattered.
'They are traumatised. When you see the mess up there, it is quite a relief that no one got hurt,' Mr Tom Boyle, the company's managing director, said of his workers.
He was at his desk when the impact of the explosion brought down a false ceiling, leaving an air-conditioning unit hanging precariously above him.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force, which received a call at 1.23pm, sent two fire engines, two fire bikes and an ambulance. Officers arrived in eight minutes, and announced the two men dead upon arrival.
A spokesman said no one was hospitalised.
The Ministry of Manpower said it has ordered a stop to all work at the site, which is occupied by Haosen Marine.
While investigations into what happened are ongoing, industry experts who spoke to The Straits Times speculated that an explosion could have taken place because welding was being done while there was still compressed air in the barge.
The welding was possibly to fix a hole that would compromise the water-tightness of the barge.
However, such welding would cause the air to expand, and therefore gush out all at once. Air that is pumped in is usually released bit by bit after the test is over.
A 37-year-old friend of the Malaysian victim said he had introduced the father of two to the job at Haosen Marine, and that the man had been working there for about seven months.
His family has been informed, he added.
The niece of Mr Zainudin's wife said the family has gathered at his home in Johor Baru.
'We were shocked. We didn't expect it to happen. His wife is inconsolable.'
The Bangladeshi victim is believed to have worked here for three months.
The management of Haosen did not want to comment.
Explosion believed to be caused by sudden release of compressed air
By Jalelah Abu Baker & Elizabeth Soh
Photo caption: Police and undertakers carrying the body of one of the two dead workers (above) and placing it in a van. The fatal blast split a flat-bottomed barge into two, causing it to flip over. -- ST PHOTO: SAMUEL HETWO foreign workers died after an explosion rocked a shipyard in Tuas, with the blast felt even 3km away.
The explosion at about 1.20pm yesterday at the UDL Shipyard in Benoi Road split a flat-bottom barge into two, causing it to flip over.
The explosion also ripped out the metal walls and part of the roof of a workshop beside the barge, and shattered the windscreens of vehicles, and windows in adjacent buildings.
The incident is believed to have occurred when the victims, 43-year-old Malaysian Zainudin Wan Jusoh and 20-year-old Bangladeshi Hasan Mainul, were conducting checks for leaks in one of the barge's tank compartments.
Their bodies were recovered near the barge, estimated to be about 100m long and about 10m tall.
The explosion is said to have been caused by a sudden burst of compressed air during air testing, a process used to maintain the water-tightness of a barge.
The loud impact sent about 100 workers from nearby companies scrambling out of their premises.
Among them was Mr Karuppiah Thangamani, 31, a tyreman who works at a company opposite the accident site.
'Everything was shaking, it was like an earthquake,' he said.
Hundreds of others, some from as far as 3km away, converged on the scene after being jolted by a sound which they described as loud as a bomb explosion.
Safety was the main concern for the management at Goltens, a company opposite the shipyard. All its 147 employees were sent home.
The metal ceiling at one of the company's buildings was reduced to dangling strips, and windows were shattered.
'They are traumatised. When you see the mess up there, it is quite a relief that no one got hurt,' Mr Tom Boyle, the company's managing director, said of his workers.
He was at his desk when the impact of the explosion brought down a false ceiling, leaving an air-conditioning unit hanging precariously above him.
The Singapore Civil Defence Force, which received a call at 1.23pm, sent two fire engines, two fire bikes and an ambulance. Officers arrived in eight minutes, and announced the two men dead upon arrival.
A spokesman said no one was hospitalised.
The Ministry of Manpower said it has ordered a stop to all work at the site, which is occupied by Haosen Marine.
While investigations into what happened are ongoing, industry experts who spoke to The Straits Times speculated that an explosion could have taken place because welding was being done while there was still compressed air in the barge.
The welding was possibly to fix a hole that would compromise the water-tightness of the barge.
However, such welding would cause the air to expand, and therefore gush out all at once. Air that is pumped in is usually released bit by bit after the test is over.
A 37-year-old friend of the Malaysian victim said he had introduced the father of two to the job at Haosen Marine, and that the man had been working there for about seven months.
His family has been informed, he added.
The niece of Mr Zainudin's wife said the family has gathered at his home in Johor Baru.
'We were shocked. We didn't expect it to happen. His wife is inconsolable.'
The Bangladeshi victim is believed to have worked here for three months.
The management of Haosen did not want to comment.
CCS Issues Proposed Infringement Decision Against Employment Agencies
This statement was published by the Competition Commission of Singapore on 13 May 2011.
1. The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) has today issued a Proposed Infringement Decision (PID) against 16 employment agencies for contravening Section 34 of the Competition Act (Cap.50B), which prohibits, amongst other things, price-fixing activities.
2. The 16 employment agencies are found to have engaged in anti-competitive conduct by meeting to discuss collectively raising the monthly salary of new Indonesian foreign domestic workers (FDW) in Singapore to $450. This object to price-fix to prevent, restrict or distort competition is a breach of the Competition Act. Employment agencies should determine the salaries of new Indonesian foreign domestic workers independently without discussion or agreement with any other employment agency.
3. The PID is a written notice setting out the basis for CCS’ decision. It is issued to the parties concerned, to give them an opportunity to submit their arguments to CCS, and submit any other information for consideration, before CCS finalizes its decision on whether there has been an infringement.
4. All the parties have until 27 June 2011 to make such representations. Refer to Annex for the list of 16 Employment Agencies.
For media clarifications, please contact:
Ms Nur Sahara Mohamed Sadik
Senior Assistant Director, External Engagement
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: nur_sahara_mohd_sadik@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8303
Ms Cynthia Chin
Senior Assistant Director, External Engagement
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: cynthia_chin@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8216
About The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS)
CCS is a statutory board established under the Act on 1 January 2005 to administer and enforce the Competition Act. The Act empowers CCS to investigate alleged anti-competitive activities, determine if such activities infringe the Act and impose suitable remedies, directions and financial penalties.
For more information, please visit www.ccs.gov.sg.
ANNEX
16 Employment Agencies:
1. Arrow Employment Pte Ltd
2. Best Home Employment Agency Pte Ltd
3. Comfort Employment Pte Ltd
4. Crislo Employment Agency Pte Ltd
5. Crislo Resources
6. Homekeeper International Pte Ltd
7. Jack Focus Management Pte Ltd
8. Javamaids
9. JPB International Services
10. Maid Management Services Pte Ltd
11. Nation Employment Pte Ltd
12. Net Resources Recruitment
13. Nora Employment Agency
14. SLF Green Maid Agency
15. Swift Personnel Pte Ltd
16. TM Global HR Consultancy
1. The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS) has today issued a Proposed Infringement Decision (PID) against 16 employment agencies for contravening Section 34 of the Competition Act (Cap.50B), which prohibits, amongst other things, price-fixing activities.
2. The 16 employment agencies are found to have engaged in anti-competitive conduct by meeting to discuss collectively raising the monthly salary of new Indonesian foreign domestic workers (FDW) in Singapore to $450. This object to price-fix to prevent, restrict or distort competition is a breach of the Competition Act. Employment agencies should determine the salaries of new Indonesian foreign domestic workers independently without discussion or agreement with any other employment agency.
3. The PID is a written notice setting out the basis for CCS’ decision. It is issued to the parties concerned, to give them an opportunity to submit their arguments to CCS, and submit any other information for consideration, before CCS finalizes its decision on whether there has been an infringement.
4. All the parties have until 27 June 2011 to make such representations. Refer to Annex for the list of 16 Employment Agencies.
For media clarifications, please contact:
Ms Nur Sahara Mohamed Sadik
Senior Assistant Director, External Engagement
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: nur_sahara_mohd_sadik@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8303
Ms Cynthia Chin
Senior Assistant Director, External Engagement
Competition Commission of Singapore
Email: cynthia_chin@ccs.gov.sg
DID: 6325 8216
About The Competition Commission of Singapore (CCS)
CCS is a statutory board established under the Act on 1 January 2005 to administer and enforce the Competition Act. The Act empowers CCS to investigate alleged anti-competitive activities, determine if such activities infringe the Act and impose suitable remedies, directions and financial penalties.
For more information, please visit www.ccs.gov.sg.
ANNEX
16 Employment Agencies:
1. Arrow Employment Pte Ltd
2. Best Home Employment Agency Pte Ltd
3. Comfort Employment Pte Ltd
4. Crislo Employment Agency Pte Ltd
5. Crislo Resources
6. Homekeeper International Pte Ltd
7. Jack Focus Management Pte Ltd
8. Javamaids
9. JPB International Services
10. Maid Management Services Pte Ltd
11. Nation Employment Pte Ltd
12. Net Resources Recruitment
13. Nora Employment Agency
14. SLF Green Maid Agency
15. Swift Personnel Pte Ltd
16. TM Global HR Consultancy
Thursday, May 12, 2011
2 dead in accident at Benoi Road
The following article was published by AsiaOne on Thu, May 12, 2011.
SINGAPORE - An accident happened at 3 Benoi Road early this afternoon. It involved a barge belonging to Haosen Marine Pte Ltd.
A spokesman from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that two male workers were pronounced dead when an SCDF team arrived on the scene.
The victims have been identified as a 43-year-old Malaysian and a 20-year-old Bangladeshi.
Eyewitnesses say the accident may have involved a structural collapse.
The Police have confirmed they received calls about the incident at about 1.30pm and rushed their personnel to the site.
According to online reports the impact of the accident caused glass panels of an office building nearby to break and the ground to shake.
A netizen who passed the location of the accident contributed a video to citizen journalism website STOMP.
Watch the video here.
Investigations are ongoing.
SINGAPORE - An accident happened at 3 Benoi Road early this afternoon. It involved a barge belonging to Haosen Marine Pte Ltd.
A spokesman from the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) told AsiaOne that two male workers were pronounced dead when an SCDF team arrived on the scene.
The victims have been identified as a 43-year-old Malaysian and a 20-year-old Bangladeshi.
Eyewitnesses say the accident may have involved a structural collapse.
The Police have confirmed they received calls about the incident at about 1.30pm and rushed their personnel to the site.
According to online reports the impact of the accident caused glass panels of an office building nearby to break and the ground to shake.
A netizen who passed the location of the accident contributed a video to citizen journalism website STOMP.
Watch the video here.
Investigations are ongoing.
Wednesday, May 11, 2011
79-year-old woman charged with maid abuse
by Shaffiq Alkhatib
TODAY, May 11, 2011
A 79-year-old woman was yesterday charged with three counts of maid abuse.
Maimunah Ahmad, who turned up in court in a wheelchair, allegedly used a heated kitchen utensil to cause a burn mark on 23-year-old Puteri Andanari's upper right arm in a flat at Block 429, Tampines Street 41, in November 2009.
About a month later, on two other separate occasions, Maimunah is believed to have used a plastic hanger and a ladle to hit the Indonesian maid.
The frail-looking elderly woman is represented by lawyer S S Dhillon. Her case will be mentioned again on July 11.
If convicted of maid abuse, Maimunah can be jailed up to 10 1/2 years and fined.
TODAY, May 11, 2011
A 79-year-old woman was yesterday charged with three counts of maid abuse.
Maimunah Ahmad, who turned up in court in a wheelchair, allegedly used a heated kitchen utensil to cause a burn mark on 23-year-old Puteri Andanari's upper right arm in a flat at Block 429, Tampines Street 41, in November 2009.
About a month later, on two other separate occasions, Maimunah is believed to have used a plastic hanger and a ladle to hit the Indonesian maid.
The frail-looking elderly woman is represented by lawyer S S Dhillon. Her case will be mentioned again on July 11.
If convicted of maid abuse, Maimunah can be jailed up to 10 1/2 years and fined.
Wednesday, May 4, 2011
PAP brought problem of foreign worker dorms to Pioneer: Chia
by Shamir Osman
TODAY, May 04, 2011
SINGAPORE - National Solidarity Party candidate for Pioneer Single Member Constituency (SMC) Steve Chia has accused the People's Action Party (PAP) of bringing problems relating to foreign workers to the constituency.
"This problem of the foreign worker dormitories is caused by (Mr Cedric Foo's) party. The party caused the inconvenience to the residents here and he, as a member of his party, by installing (CCTV cameras in Pioneer) is adding to the maintenance cost," said Mr Chia, who will contest against Mr Foo in the SMC.
Pioneer residents have been troubled by foreign workers loitering in void decks in the neighbourhood, often sitting around drinking beer, he said.
"The PAP allowed the dormitories to be built at Pioneer rather than at Joo Koon, where there are no HDB flats,'' said Mr Chia, who was on a walkabout in Jurong West.
"I have suggested this before and I will continue to do so. When the contracts of these dormitories expire, stop issuing renewals and move them to another location …at Joo Koon where there are no HDB flats," said Mr Chia, who added that facilities and amenities for foreign workers can be built there.
"It's just one MRT stop away but it's still in the area where the light industry (factories are) and it makes a big impact," he added.
Mr Chia also asserted that many residents he spoke to did not know about the citizens' patrol that Mr Foo claims is in force to deal with the situation. He said: "I've checked with a lot of the residents who are active on the ground here and they don't know about the citizens' patrol, so apparently they are not that active, or not too prominent."
TODAY, May 04, 2011
SINGAPORE - National Solidarity Party candidate for Pioneer Single Member Constituency (SMC) Steve Chia has accused the People's Action Party (PAP) of bringing problems relating to foreign workers to the constituency.
"This problem of the foreign worker dormitories is caused by (Mr Cedric Foo's) party. The party caused the inconvenience to the residents here and he, as a member of his party, by installing (CCTV cameras in Pioneer) is adding to the maintenance cost," said Mr Chia, who will contest against Mr Foo in the SMC.
Pioneer residents have been troubled by foreign workers loitering in void decks in the neighbourhood, often sitting around drinking beer, he said.
"The PAP allowed the dormitories to be built at Pioneer rather than at Joo Koon, where there are no HDB flats,'' said Mr Chia, who was on a walkabout in Jurong West.
"I have suggested this before and I will continue to do so. When the contracts of these dormitories expire, stop issuing renewals and move them to another location …at Joo Koon where there are no HDB flats," said Mr Chia, who added that facilities and amenities for foreign workers can be built there.
"It's just one MRT stop away but it's still in the area where the light industry (factories are) and it makes a big impact," he added.
Mr Chia also asserted that many residents he spoke to did not know about the citizens' patrol that Mr Foo claims is in force to deal with the situation. He said: "I've checked with a lot of the residents who are active on the ground here and they don't know about the citizens' patrol, so apparently they are not that active, or not too prominent."
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