Five Singaporeans, including three brothers, convicted for illegally employing foreign workers at bazaars, pasar malams
Investigation found that the workers, mostly on social visit passes, were given jobs involving cash collection and food preparation without valid work permits.
SINGAPORE — In a crackdown on illegal employment practices, five Singaporeans, including three brothers, were convicted under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 (EFMA). The five had unlawfully hired foreign workers without valid work passes to work at temporary fairs, such as bazaars and pasar malams.
Among those implicated were brothers Ker Eng Kiat, 52, and Ker Eng Hock, 53, who were highlighted in a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) media release on Friday (5 January) over their involvement.
Eng Kiat was previously convicted in 2013 for similar offences, and on Thursday (4 January) sentenced to one month's jail and a $23,000 fine for employing five foreign workers without valid work passes. Eng Hock was fined $6,000 on 7 September 2023 for illegally employing one foreign worker without a valid work pass.
In a separate case, Tan Hoe Soon, 70, and Ker Yong Sen, 41, the younger brother of Eng Kiat and Eng Hock, were found guilty of engaging in a conspiracy to hire two foreign workers without valid work passes.
Tan and Yong Sen were each fined $8,500 on 14 and 19 September 2023, respectively. The fifth individual, Sao Wei Loon, 47, was convicted and sentenced on 3 October 2023 to two months jail and a $45,000 fine for illegally employing 11 foreign workers without valid work passes, the ministry said.
Exploitation and improper lodging unveiled in temporary fairs
The MOM revealed that these individuals had rented stalls at various temporary fairs, including the Geylang Serai Bazaar and Ang Mo Kio Pasar Malam, between October 2022 and April 2023.
Investigations uncovered their employment of foreign workers, primarily on social visit passes, who were assigned to tasks such as food preparation, sales, and cash collection without valid work passes.
These workers were also deprived of proper lodging, with some left to sleep on the floors of the stalls they worked. All 19 foreign workers involved in these cases have been barred from working in Singapore due to their employers' illegal actions.
Under the EFMA, penalties for employing foreign workers without valid work passes include fines ranging from $5,000 to $30,000 and imprisonment for up to 12 months. Repeat offenders face stiffer consequences, with fines of at least $10,000 (up to $30,000) and a minimum of one month's imprisonment and not more than 12 months.
The MOM has urged the public to report any suspicious employment activities or violations of the EFMA. Reports can be made to MOM at 6438 5122 or mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg, with assurances of strict confidentiality.
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