SINGAPORE: Three directors and their companies have been fined a total of S$153,000 for housing foreign workers in overcrowded private residential premises, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) announced on Wednesday (Jun 27).
Ong Lai Kar, director of Essential Clean and Care, Ong Huay Chew, director of Seng Foo Building Construction and Koh Kok Seng, director of Bestway Cleaning Services were convicted for not complying with Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) guidelines, after the 2014 Lorong 4 Geylang shophouse fire that killed four people.
AdvertisementThe convicted parties have also been barred from employing foreign workers.
MOM said that while the cause of the fire was electrical in origin, investigations revealed there were 22 foreign workers residing in the shophouse, which exceeded URA's then occupancy cap of eight people.
"Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower (Work Passes) Regulations, employers are required to provide accommodation that comply with the various statutory requirements for their foreign workers," a press release stated.
Ong Lai Kar was prosecuted for abetting the other two employers to house their foreign workers in the overcrowded shophouse space, said MOM.
AdvertisementAdvertisementAuthorities have also taken court action against the master tenant and owner of the property under the Planning Act and Fire Safety Act.
If convicted, they may face a maximum fine of S$200,000 under the Planning Act. They may also be fined up to S$200,000, jailed a maximum of two years or both, under the Fire Safety Act.
MORE THAN 3,000 HOUSING INSPECTIONS IN 2 YEARS
"Lives have been lost," said Ms Jeanette Har, director of well-being at MOM's Foreign Manpower Management Division. "Employers are legally obliged to exercise a duty of care towards their workers, and this duty cannot be simply delegated to others.
"Employers who fail to ensure that their workers are housed in safe and proper accommodation that meets statutory requirements will be firmly taken to task.”
MOM said that since 2015, it has been working together with the URA and Singapore Civil Defence Force to conduct regular inspections and increase enforcement presence on private residences housing foreign workers.
"Specifically, MOM conducted more than 3,000 housing inspections in the last two years, and imposed penalties on employers who have housed workers in accommodation that were in poor condition," it said.
The authorities also urged foreign workers who have issues with their housing to first raise the matter to their employer before seeking help via the Migrant Workers' Centre hotline at 6536-2692. They may also report the matter to MOM at 6438-5122.
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