TWC2 has produced two videos on the case involving the unfavourable housing and employment conditions of migrant workers in the dormitory at Tagore Lane. This is one of them titled "Plight of Migrant Workers".
Showing posts with label human trafficking. Show all posts
Showing posts with label human trafficking. Show all posts
Saturday, July 4, 2009
Video: Migrant Workers Left In The Lurch
Another video produced by TWC2 titled "Migrant Workers Left in the Lurch".
Tuesday, June 30, 2009
Human trafficking: More Women, Children Being victimised
AsiaOne ran this article by The Nation/Asia News Network on 30 June 2009:
Human trafficking: More women, children being victimised
THAILAND - More and more women and children are becoming part of human-trafficking scams, a report from the Foundation for Women (FFW) said yesterday.
"With countries like Laos having a very male-oriented society, male family members force women or children to shoulder bread-winning responsibilities. Since children and women are weak, they are not allowed to make decisions and instead are taken advantage of or violated by human traffickers," Panjit Kaewsawang, a social worker with the FFW, said at a seminar yesterday.
"Some female victims in Laos cannot even use the money given to them by the FFW to bring their lives back in order. Instead the money is used for other purposes such as a relative's wedding, the purchase of a tractor or a satellite dish," she added.
She studied the lives of victims in Laos, Cambodia and Burma after they were rescued from a life of drudgery.
Panjit said she found that mothers and children were often abandoned, which put them at further risk. She also found that some Burmese refugees on the Thai border kept selling their children even after they had been rescued from human traffickers.
The seminar, held at Bangkok's Asia Hotel, was organised to study the problem of human trafficking and to find a way of assisting victims after they had been rescued.
Meanwhile, Matthana Chetamee, the FFW's project coordinator in Thailand, has discovered that illegal agents held a lot of power in certain communities, which not only threatened people's safety but also made it difficult to corner them.
"The agents will have donated large amounts of money to temples, thereby gaining the respect and trust of the locals. Victims who try to take these agents to court are usually condemned by their communities," Matthana said.
Another problem that Thai human-trafficking victims face is that some relevant government officials do not take them seriously.
"Many have told me that every time they asked for financial assistance, they were made to feel like beggars," Matthana said.
FFW's president Siriporn Skrobanek recommended that both governmental and non-governmental organisations jointly approach local administrative organisations and have them take part in making locals understand what happens to human-trafficking victims and encourage them to fight against the illegal agents.
She also called on relevant officials to pay serious attention to victims. "People accused of human trafficking out on bail should not be allowed to go overseas," Siriporn added.
Human trafficking: More women, children being victimised
THAILAND - More and more women and children are becoming part of human-trafficking scams, a report from the Foundation for Women (FFW) said yesterday.
"With countries like Laos having a very male-oriented society, male family members force women or children to shoulder bread-winning responsibilities. Since children and women are weak, they are not allowed to make decisions and instead are taken advantage of or violated by human traffickers," Panjit Kaewsawang, a social worker with the FFW, said at a seminar yesterday.
"Some female victims in Laos cannot even use the money given to them by the FFW to bring their lives back in order. Instead the money is used for other purposes such as a relative's wedding, the purchase of a tractor or a satellite dish," she added.
She studied the lives of victims in Laos, Cambodia and Burma after they were rescued from a life of drudgery.
Panjit said she found that mothers and children were often abandoned, which put them at further risk. She also found that some Burmese refugees on the Thai border kept selling their children even after they had been rescued from human traffickers.
The seminar, held at Bangkok's Asia Hotel, was organised to study the problem of human trafficking and to find a way of assisting victims after they had been rescued.
Meanwhile, Matthana Chetamee, the FFW's project coordinator in Thailand, has discovered that illegal agents held a lot of power in certain communities, which not only threatened people's safety but also made it difficult to corner them.
"The agents will have donated large amounts of money to temples, thereby gaining the respect and trust of the locals. Victims who try to take these agents to court are usually condemned by their communities," Matthana said.
Another problem that Thai human-trafficking victims face is that some relevant government officials do not take them seriously.
"Many have told me that every time they asked for financial assistance, they were made to feel like beggars," Matthana said.
FFW's president Siriporn Skrobanek recommended that both governmental and non-governmental organisations jointly approach local administrative organisations and have them take part in making locals understand what happens to human-trafficking victims and encourage them to fight against the illegal agents.
She also called on relevant officials to pay serious attention to victims. "People accused of human trafficking out on bail should not be allowed to go overseas," Siriporn added.
Monday, May 25, 2009
Three NGOs Form Coalition Called Solidarity for Migrant Workers
Channel NewsAsia ran this article on 24 May 2009:
Three NGOs form coalition called Solidarity for Migrant Workers
By Lynda Hong
SINGAPORE : Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have said they are seeing a huge impact on foreign workers due to the economic recession.
Thus, despite more steps being taken to improve the working conditions of foreign workers, NGOs want to further strengthen activism for them.
Three NGOs - Migrant Voices, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) - have come together to form a coalition called the Solidarity for Migrant Workers, which taps on the expertise of the three foreign worker NGOs.
Up to 160 foreign workers attended the launch of the new coalition on Sunday afternoon.
Three NGOs form coalition called Solidarity for Migrant Workers
By Lynda Hong
SINGAPORE : Non-governmental organisations (NGOs) have said they are seeing a huge impact on foreign workers due to the economic recession.
Thus, despite more steps being taken to improve the working conditions of foreign workers, NGOs want to further strengthen activism for them.
Three NGOs - Migrant Voices, Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) and Humanitarian Organization for Migration Economics (HOME) - have come together to form a coalition called the Solidarity for Migrant Workers, which taps on the expertise of the three foreign worker NGOs.
Up to 160 foreign workers attended the launch of the new coalition on Sunday afternoon.
Friday, May 22, 2009
Arrests in Chinese Slavery Case
BBC ran this article on 22 May 2009:
Arrests in Chinese slavery case
Police in eastern China have arrested 10 people suspected of beating mentally disabled people forced to work as slaves in brick factories.
State media said the brick kiln owner had bought 32 such people and forced them to work without pay.
The victims, aged between 25 and 45, were freed in a police raid in April.
The case echoes a scandal in 2007, when more than 1,000 labourers - including children were found working in brutal conditions in central Shanxi province.
Following that scandal, China announced a nationwide crackdown on enslavement and child labour.
Terrible conditions
Under terrible conditions, 32 mentally disabled people were forced to work in brick kilns in Jieshou city, in Anhui province, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The 10 are "suspected of beating and treating the mentally handicapped people like slaves," a local police official was quoted as saying.
The victims had been sold to a factory owner for less than $50 (£30) each, after being recruited off the street by a taxi driver promising work food and lodging, the report said.
Unpaid, and working more than 10 hours a day, they were fed little more than steamed dough.
Twelve of those freed have now returned home, while the remainder, many of whom are unable to say where they live, are being kept in local shelters.
Arrests in Chinese slavery case
Police in eastern China have arrested 10 people suspected of beating mentally disabled people forced to work as slaves in brick factories.
State media said the brick kiln owner had bought 32 such people and forced them to work without pay.
The victims, aged between 25 and 45, were freed in a police raid in April.
The case echoes a scandal in 2007, when more than 1,000 labourers - including children were found working in brutal conditions in central Shanxi province.
Following that scandal, China announced a nationwide crackdown on enslavement and child labour.
Terrible conditions
Under terrible conditions, 32 mentally disabled people were forced to work in brick kilns in Jieshou city, in Anhui province, according to the Xinhua news agency.
The 10 are "suspected of beating and treating the mentally handicapped people like slaves," a local police official was quoted as saying.
The victims had been sold to a factory owner for less than $50 (£30) each, after being recruited off the street by a taxi driver promising work food and lodging, the report said.
Unpaid, and working more than 10 hours a day, they were fed little more than steamed dough.
Twelve of those freed have now returned home, while the remainder, many of whom are unable to say where they live, are being kept in local shelters.
Tuesday, April 28, 2009
Unhappy Workers Who Turn Rowdy Cautioned
Today ran this story on 28 April 2009:
A stern warning for mob
By Lin Yanqin and Teo Xuanwei
CROWDS of unpaid, unhappy foreign workers seeking help have become a common sight at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Building in recent months.
But a mob of workers from China who turned rowdy yesterday elicited a stern warning from MOM: Break the law again, and not only will it delay your case, we’ll refer you to the police.
Some 200 workers from Raffles Contractors, Hokh Contract Services and Neo-Built Pte Ltd — the same group interviewed by MOM officers on Friday — had assembled at the Havelock Road premises in the morning seeking updates.
When asked to proceed to MOM’s Kim Seng Road office so their concerns could be investigated, about 40 did so, but 130 refused to leave.
“They were uncooperative and behaved in a rowdy manner, impeding the access of the public to MOM Building, and making a nuisance of themselves. These workers insisted on immediate resolution of their demands,” said MOM in a statement.
Despite numerous attempts at persuasion, the workers refused to leave, prompting MOM to call the police four hours later around 1.30pm.
When Today was there, officers in blue moved through the crowd, talking with workers who argued with them. Eventually, the workers were herded across the road where some still stood, refusing to budge.
“We have no money for food, and we can’t even pay for our rent anymore,” said Mr Xu, 40, from Zhejiang, who had worked for Hokh Contract Services for nine months before his contract was terminated. “They still owe me $3,000 in wages. I paid about 50,000 yuan ($11,000) to come here and work. What am I going to do?”
MOM repeated its assurance it was striving to “help workers sooner rather than later” on wage disputes, but such behaviour on their part was unproductive, only serving “to delay the resolution of their claims”.
“If these workers gather at MOM again without prior appointments and without valid reasons, MOM will immediately refer them to the police,” warned the ministry.
MOM added that it sought a “fair resolution” to all claims and thus, would need to establish the facts of the case before exploring a settlement between employers and workers.
A stern warning for mob
By Lin Yanqin and Teo Xuanwei
CROWDS of unpaid, unhappy foreign workers seeking help have become a common sight at the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Building in recent months.
But a mob of workers from China who turned rowdy yesterday elicited a stern warning from MOM: Break the law again, and not only will it delay your case, we’ll refer you to the police.
Some 200 workers from Raffles Contractors, Hokh Contract Services and Neo-Built Pte Ltd — the same group interviewed by MOM officers on Friday — had assembled at the Havelock Road premises in the morning seeking updates.
When asked to proceed to MOM’s Kim Seng Road office so their concerns could be investigated, about 40 did so, but 130 refused to leave.
“They were uncooperative and behaved in a rowdy manner, impeding the access of the public to MOM Building, and making a nuisance of themselves. These workers insisted on immediate resolution of their demands,” said MOM in a statement.
Despite numerous attempts at persuasion, the workers refused to leave, prompting MOM to call the police four hours later around 1.30pm.
When Today was there, officers in blue moved through the crowd, talking with workers who argued with them. Eventually, the workers were herded across the road where some still stood, refusing to budge.
“We have no money for food, and we can’t even pay for our rent anymore,” said Mr Xu, 40, from Zhejiang, who had worked for Hokh Contract Services for nine months before his contract was terminated. “They still owe me $3,000 in wages. I paid about 50,000 yuan ($11,000) to come here and work. What am I going to do?”
MOM repeated its assurance it was striving to “help workers sooner rather than later” on wage disputes, but such behaviour on their part was unproductive, only serving “to delay the resolution of their claims”.
“If these workers gather at MOM again without prior appointments and without valid reasons, MOM will immediately refer them to the police,” warned the ministry.
MOM added that it sought a “fair resolution” to all claims and thus, would need to establish the facts of the case before exploring a settlement between employers and workers.
Wednesday, April 15, 2009
Uproar over reports of IR jobs going to foreigners
The Straits Times ran this story on 14 April 2009:
Uproar over reports of IR jobs going to foreigners
By Lim Wei Chean
TWO reports circulating on the Internet that half of the 10,000 jobs at Sentosa's upcoming integrated resort (IR) have been set aside for foreigners have created a furore among some Singaporeans.
Two publications in the Philippines - the Manila Standard Today and the Philippine Star - on April 4 quoted the country's President Gloria Arroyo as saying she has secured 5,000 positions at the casino-resort - opening next year - for Filipinos.
She was quoted as saying she had sent a delegation to Singapore last month to explore job opportunities for Filipino nationals here, and added that Labour Secretary Marianito Roque met Resorts World at Sentosa chief executive officer Tan Hee Teck to talk about opportunities for Filipinos.
Uproar over reports of IR jobs going to foreigners
By Lim Wei Chean
TWO reports circulating on the Internet that half of the 10,000 jobs at Sentosa's upcoming integrated resort (IR) have been set aside for foreigners have created a furore among some Singaporeans.
Two publications in the Philippines - the Manila Standard Today and the Philippine Star - on April 4 quoted the country's President Gloria Arroyo as saying she has secured 5,000 positions at the casino-resort - opening next year - for Filipinos.
She was quoted as saying she had sent a delegation to Singapore last month to explore job opportunities for Filipino nationals here, and added that Labour Secretary Marianito Roque met Resorts World at Sentosa chief executive officer Tan Hee Teck to talk about opportunities for Filipinos.
Friday, March 20, 2009
MOM Prosecutes Four in Tipper Case
AsiaOne published this story on 19 March 2009:
MOM prosecutes four in Tipper case
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecuted four employers today for failing to pay the salaries of their foreign employers on time.
Last December, work permit holders under Tipper Corp Pte Ltd reported to MOM that they were not given regular work and they were owed salaries.
Loke Siew Fai, the director of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd, was then ordered by the MOM to pay the salaries owed to the workers within two weeks. He now faces the most number of charges among the four employers charged by MOM.
His 145 charges include charges of failing to pay salaries, abetting Paul Lee Chiang Theng (Director, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd and S1 Engineering Pte Ltd) and Sockalingam Uthayanan of UPNB Engineering Pte Ltd of illegal employment, and giving false information with the purpose of hiring phantom workers.
Lee, meanwhile, is being charged for illegal employment of Tipper's workers, failure to pay salary to Gates Offshore workers and Goldrich Venture workers, and failure to provide acceptable accommodation.
Uthayanan and Han Meng Siew of Ensure Engineering Pte Ltd are both being charged for for illegal employment of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd's workers.
"The accused employers deliberately brought in workers for which there was no prospect of regular work, failed to provide for their proper maintenance through non-payment of salaries for months and housed them in unacceptable accommodation," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division.
Majority of the foreign workers chose to return home after receiving their salaries. They were assisted by the MOM in their repatriation.
About fifty who chose to remain in Singapore were able to find jobs in the marine sector.
MOM has stepped up ground operations to detect and bring to book employers who have committed offences such as illegal employment, providing unacceptable accommodation and failing to pay salaries.
Employers convicted of failing to pay salaries can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to six months or both, for each foreign worker.
Meanwhile, for illegal employment, a first-time offender faces a fine up to $15,000 or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, for each foreign worker. They will also have to repay the levy evaded.
"We will keep up our operations on the ground against such errant employers, and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions under the law," said Aw.
MOM prosecutes four in Tipper case
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecuted four employers today for failing to pay the salaries of their foreign employers on time.
Last December, work permit holders under Tipper Corp Pte Ltd reported to MOM that they were not given regular work and they were owed salaries.
Loke Siew Fai, the director of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd, was then ordered by the MOM to pay the salaries owed to the workers within two weeks. He now faces the most number of charges among the four employers charged by MOM.
His 145 charges include charges of failing to pay salaries, abetting Paul Lee Chiang Theng (Director, Gates Offshore Pte Ltd, Goldrich Venture Pte Ltd and S1 Engineering Pte Ltd) and Sockalingam Uthayanan of UPNB Engineering Pte Ltd of illegal employment, and giving false information with the purpose of hiring phantom workers.
Lee, meanwhile, is being charged for illegal employment of Tipper's workers, failure to pay salary to Gates Offshore workers and Goldrich Venture workers, and failure to provide acceptable accommodation.
Uthayanan and Han Meng Siew of Ensure Engineering Pte Ltd are both being charged for for illegal employment of Tipper Corp Pte Ltd's workers.
"The accused employers deliberately brought in workers for which there was no prospect of regular work, failed to provide for their proper maintenance through non-payment of salaries for months and housed them in unacceptable accommodation," said Aw Kum Cheong, Divisional Director of the Foreign Manpower Management Division.
Majority of the foreign workers chose to return home after receiving their salaries. They were assisted by the MOM in their repatriation.
About fifty who chose to remain in Singapore were able to find jobs in the marine sector.
MOM has stepped up ground operations to detect and bring to book employers who have committed offences such as illegal employment, providing unacceptable accommodation and failing to pay salaries.
Employers convicted of failing to pay salaries can be fined up to $5,000 or jailed for up to six months or both, for each foreign worker.
Meanwhile, for illegal employment, a first-time offender faces a fine up to $15,000 or imprisonment of up to one year, or both, for each foreign worker. They will also have to repay the levy evaded.
"We will keep up our operations on the ground against such errant employers, and ensure that they face the full consequences of their actions under the law," said Aw.
Tuesday, March 17, 2009
Training, Job, PR Status... All Lies
The Straits Times ran this story on 17 March 2009:
Training, job, PR status...all lies
By Mavis Toh
An advertisement in a Sri Lankan newspaper caught Mr Rohan Rubera's eye. In bold print, it read: 'STUDY & JOB TRAINING'.
It listed six diploma courses run by private schools in Singapore.
Mr Rohan, 45, called the telephone number listed.
A recruitment agent told him if he signed up for a six-month casino management course in Singapore, priced at $8,000, it would come guaranteed with a six-month training stint with pay in a casino on board a cruise liner.
He paid the agent an initial $4,000, half the fees.
But when he arrived here last October, not only was he told there would be no hands-on casino training, he was also made to share a three-bedroom flat with 17 others.
'At that point, I knew I had been fooled. I was furious,' he said.
He is not alone. The Sri Lanka High Commission has seen at least 100 of its nationals, here on student visas, lodging complaints with it in the last six months.
At the Chinese Embassy, at least 20 students have asked for help each month in the past three years.
Last year, it was reported that 13 Vietnamese students each paid $9,600 to their agents for 'work and study' visas, only to find that the law bars them from working in Singapore. The agent put up all 13 students in a small room.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 20 complaints against education agents last year, up from five in 2007 and eight in 2006.
Most of the complaints accused agents of misrepresentation and of misleading claims, such as getting the wrong courses and being told they could work and study here.
Some were even told they could get permanent residency status.
New guidelines in the Private Education Bill to be introduced in Parliament later this year will tighten regulation of the industry here.
The new rules require the 1,200 private schools here to meet certain criteria, including examination boards and information on their finances, teachers and facilities before they can be registered.
There are currently about 99,000 foreign students here.
From The Sunday Times' interviews with affected students, private schools and a former local agent, false promises seem to be the work of rogue agents both here and in the foreign countries.
Last December, the Sri Lanka High Commission here even placed ads in major Sri Lankan newspapers alerting would-be students to 'false promises' by dodgy agents about student life here.
'Students might want to study here as a stepping stone to get jobs here,' said a Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman. 'But what they were told back home and what they see here are different.'
Some private schools here added that despite the current economic recession, agents at overseas education fairs still boldly guarantee job placement to students. But one principal, who declined to be named, said the students' visas do not allow them to work here.
An academic head of a private school, who declined to be named, said that at some private schools, attendance is only half-full as agents had arranged illegal work for those here on the pretext of studying.
'The schools know they'll lose money if they cancelled the student passes so they kept them on the class list,' he said.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman said some agents in China told would-be students they would be enrolled in private schools in Singapore with big campuses, fields and even laboratories. But on arrival, these students ended up in small private schools with only a few rented classrooms in old buildings.
Embassies believe that the number of victims they see is just the tip of the iceberg. Many students have yet to come forward or are unaware of where they can turn to for help. Others have flown home without seeking refunds.
The Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman said: 'Many came from rural areas where their families pawned jewellery and valuables to send them here. They do not know how to tell their parents they were fooled or how to repay the loans.'
Private schools contacted claim they are unaware of promises made by the agents they worked with.
But one former local agent, Mr Billy Ng, 32, said he quit his job last year as he was unhappy with the school he was working for.
He claimed the school had told agents to tell students they would get attachments at big hotels, earning up to $800 monthly. Most of the mainly Malaysian students, he said, decided to enrol with the school only because they were told they could work and study here.
'But they ended up washing dishes illegally for $200 monthly,' said Mr Ng. 'I couldn't stomach the complaints from the students and their irate parents, so I quit.'
Established private schools want the Government to weed out rogue agents. They also hope that the upcoming Private Education Bill will clean up the industry.
Said Management Development Institute of Singapore's secretary-general R. Theyvendran: 'There's a lot of deception in student recruitment by smaller players. This will tarnish Singapore's reputation as an education hub.
Training, job, PR status...all lies
By Mavis Toh
An advertisement in a Sri Lankan newspaper caught Mr Rohan Rubera's eye. In bold print, it read: 'STUDY & JOB TRAINING'.
It listed six diploma courses run by private schools in Singapore.
Mr Rohan, 45, called the telephone number listed.
A recruitment agent told him if he signed up for a six-month casino management course in Singapore, priced at $8,000, it would come guaranteed with a six-month training stint with pay in a casino on board a cruise liner.
He paid the agent an initial $4,000, half the fees.
But when he arrived here last October, not only was he told there would be no hands-on casino training, he was also made to share a three-bedroom flat with 17 others.
'At that point, I knew I had been fooled. I was furious,' he said.
He is not alone. The Sri Lanka High Commission has seen at least 100 of its nationals, here on student visas, lodging complaints with it in the last six months.
At the Chinese Embassy, at least 20 students have asked for help each month in the past three years.
Last year, it was reported that 13 Vietnamese students each paid $9,600 to their agents for 'work and study' visas, only to find that the law bars them from working in Singapore. The agent put up all 13 students in a small room.
The Consumers Association of Singapore (Case) received 20 complaints against education agents last year, up from five in 2007 and eight in 2006.
Most of the complaints accused agents of misrepresentation and of misleading claims, such as getting the wrong courses and being told they could work and study here.
Some were even told they could get permanent residency status.
New guidelines in the Private Education Bill to be introduced in Parliament later this year will tighten regulation of the industry here.
The new rules require the 1,200 private schools here to meet certain criteria, including examination boards and information on their finances, teachers and facilities before they can be registered.
There are currently about 99,000 foreign students here.
From The Sunday Times' interviews with affected students, private schools and a former local agent, false promises seem to be the work of rogue agents both here and in the foreign countries.
Last December, the Sri Lanka High Commission here even placed ads in major Sri Lankan newspapers alerting would-be students to 'false promises' by dodgy agents about student life here.
'Students might want to study here as a stepping stone to get jobs here,' said a Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman. 'But what they were told back home and what they see here are different.'
Some private schools here added that despite the current economic recession, agents at overseas education fairs still boldly guarantee job placement to students. But one principal, who declined to be named, said the students' visas do not allow them to work here.
An academic head of a private school, who declined to be named, said that at some private schools, attendance is only half-full as agents had arranged illegal work for those here on the pretext of studying.
'The schools know they'll lose money if they cancelled the student passes so they kept them on the class list,' he said.
A Chinese Embassy spokesman said some agents in China told would-be students they would be enrolled in private schools in Singapore with big campuses, fields and even laboratories. But on arrival, these students ended up in small private schools with only a few rented classrooms in old buildings.
Embassies believe that the number of victims they see is just the tip of the iceberg. Many students have yet to come forward or are unaware of where they can turn to for help. Others have flown home without seeking refunds.
The Sri Lanka High Commission spokesman said: 'Many came from rural areas where their families pawned jewellery and valuables to send them here. They do not know how to tell their parents they were fooled or how to repay the loans.'
Private schools contacted claim they are unaware of promises made by the agents they worked with.
But one former local agent, Mr Billy Ng, 32, said he quit his job last year as he was unhappy with the school he was working for.
He claimed the school had told agents to tell students they would get attachments at big hotels, earning up to $800 monthly. Most of the mainly Malaysian students, he said, decided to enrol with the school only because they were told they could work and study here.
'But they ended up washing dishes illegally for $200 monthly,' said Mr Ng. 'I couldn't stomach the complaints from the students and their irate parents, so I quit.'
Established private schools want the Government to weed out rogue agents. They also hope that the upcoming Private Education Bill will clean up the industry.
Said Management Development Institute of Singapore's secretary-general R. Theyvendran: 'There's a lot of deception in student recruitment by smaller players. This will tarnish Singapore's reputation as an education hub.
Thursday, March 12, 2009
600 Conned by Syndicate Promising 'High Paying' Jobs
Malaysian newspaper The Star ran this story on 11 March 2009:
600 conned by syndicate promising 'high paying' jobs
By Gladys Tay
JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: At least 600 people are believed to have been conned by a syndicate promising high-paying jobs of up to S$8,000 (RM19,200) a month on board a cargo ship in Singapore.
The victims, who were retrenched workers or who had quit their jobs, said they have paid S$100 (RM240) or RM250 to an "agent" who was known only as Ah Kwang.
They found out that they were cheated when their "employer" failed to meet them in Johor Jaya on Sunday.
One of the victims, who only wanted to be known as Lee, 21, said that he had quit his job in Singapore as a deliveryman. "I resigned from my job of four years on Friday to start the new job on Sunday but now I am jobless.
"I do not know what to do now," he said adding that he had to settle his monthly car loan repayments.
Another victim, Jazz Lim, 26, she had lost a few hundred ringgit by paying commission fees to the "agent" on behalf of her relatives.
Lim, who sought help from the Johor Jaya assemblymen Tan Cher Puk, said she learned about the jobs from Ah Kwang. "He told me about the high paying jobs and I told my friends and relatives about it.
"Some of them were looking for a job, some were retrenched while others thought it was a good idea to quit their jobs for higher income," she said adding that she felt miserable over the incident.
When contacted, Ah Kwang said he too had been conned by someone who claimed to be a bank manager who told him that he could earn up to S$10,000 (RM24,000) in commission if he could get people to work on the ship.
He said he had found about 200 to 300 people who were interested but he did not receive his commission.
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob confirmed that several police reports had been lodged. He said police are still investigating the case and urged those with information to call the police hotline at 07-221 2999.
600 conned by syndicate promising 'high paying' jobs
By Gladys Tay
JOHOR BARU, MALAYSIA: At least 600 people are believed to have been conned by a syndicate promising high-paying jobs of up to S$8,000 (RM19,200) a month on board a cargo ship in Singapore.
The victims, who were retrenched workers or who had quit their jobs, said they have paid S$100 (RM240) or RM250 to an "agent" who was known only as Ah Kwang.
They found out that they were cheated when their "employer" failed to meet them in Johor Jaya on Sunday.
One of the victims, who only wanted to be known as Lee, 21, said that he had quit his job in Singapore as a deliveryman. "I resigned from my job of four years on Friday to start the new job on Sunday but now I am jobless.
"I do not know what to do now," he said adding that he had to settle his monthly car loan repayments.
Another victim, Jazz Lim, 26, she had lost a few hundred ringgit by paying commission fees to the "agent" on behalf of her relatives.
Lim, who sought help from the Johor Jaya assemblymen Tan Cher Puk, said she learned about the jobs from Ah Kwang. "He told me about the high paying jobs and I told my friends and relatives about it.
"Some of them were looking for a job, some were retrenched while others thought it was a good idea to quit their jobs for higher income," she said adding that she felt miserable over the incident.
When contacted, Ah Kwang said he too had been conned by someone who claimed to be a bank manager who told him that he could earn up to S$10,000 (RM24,000) in commission if he could get people to work on the ship.
He said he had found about 200 to 300 people who were interested but he did not receive his commission.
Johor Baru (South) OCPD Asst Comm Zainuddin Yaakob confirmed that several police reports had been lodged. He said police are still investigating the case and urged those with information to call the police hotline at 07-221 2999.
Saturday, February 28, 2009
Jobless Migrant Workers Protest in Singapore Again
Reuters ran this story on 27 February 2009:
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A group of around 100 Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered outside Singapore's labour ministry on Friday, urging the government to give them work and retrieve overdue pay after they were laid off by shipping firms.
Protests are rare in Singapore, where public speeches and demonstrations are banned unless they are approved by the government, or take place at a designated place called Speaker's Corner.
A representative for the Bangladeshi workers said they were promised a monthly salary of at least S$400 and a work permit of 2 years. But with no work or pay for 4 months, they felt they were in danger of being deported.
"We don't want to go back to Bangladesh. We take loan, we cannot pay, we die," said Rahman, who gave up his farming job in Bangladesh and took a loan of S$7000 from money lenders back home to pay an agent fee to work in Singapore.
Fifty workers gathered at the ministry earlier this month.
Local advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too said such gatherings would become more common in Singapore as workers were not being fed enough and were just sitting in dormitories, amid Singapore's worst ever recession.
"The mood is that we are seeing a lot of people coming forward -- hundreds -- they don't have work," said the group's Shelley Thio. "We are going to see a lot more of it -- they are being shortchanged."
Singapore's shipyard, construction and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007. But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
"If developers can't get money to pay construction companies, subcontractors down the line will get affected too," said Chew Chin Hui, who heads a local building firm.
SINGAPORE (Reuters) - A group of around 100 Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered outside Singapore's labour ministry on Friday, urging the government to give them work and retrieve overdue pay after they were laid off by shipping firms.
Protests are rare in Singapore, where public speeches and demonstrations are banned unless they are approved by the government, or take place at a designated place called Speaker's Corner.
A representative for the Bangladeshi workers said they were promised a monthly salary of at least S$400 and a work permit of 2 years. But with no work or pay for 4 months, they felt they were in danger of being deported.
"We don't want to go back to Bangladesh. We take loan, we cannot pay, we die," said Rahman, who gave up his farming job in Bangladesh and took a loan of S$7000 from money lenders back home to pay an agent fee to work in Singapore.
Fifty workers gathered at the ministry earlier this month.
Local advocacy group Transient Workers Count Too said such gatherings would become more common in Singapore as workers were not being fed enough and were just sitting in dormitories, amid Singapore's worst ever recession.
"The mood is that we are seeing a lot of people coming forward -- hundreds -- they don't have work," said the group's Shelley Thio. "We are going to see a lot more of it -- they are being shortchanged."
Singapore's shipyard, construction and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007. But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
"If developers can't get money to pay construction companies, subcontractors down the line will get affected too," said Chew Chin Hui, who heads a local building firm.
Tuesday, February 17, 2009
Foreign Workers Seek Help
Reuters ran this story on 16 February 2009:
Foreign workers seek help
SOME 50 unemployed Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered in front of Singapore's Ministry of Manpower on Monday, urging the government to give them work and help retrieve overdue pay from previous employers.
The shipyard workers said they were promised new jobs by ministry officials when they were moved out of their employers' dormitories after their firms went bankrupt and could not pay them.
'No job, no money, only eating and sleeping,' said Mr Tutul Abdul Manan, a 31-year-old who said he gave up his temporary job with the government in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and paid some $9,000 for a brokerage fee to work in Singapore.
The Bangladeshi migrants were allowed to meet officials after an hour of waiting.
'We are trying to help them negotiate with their employer discreetly. But they have become more and more savvy by inviting the media here,' one government official said at the gathering.
Singapore's construction, shipyard and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007.
But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
Human rights groups say many of the world's estimated 100 million migrant workers are in dire predicaments as economic woes in the Gulf, Singapore and Taiwan lead to mass layoffs of labourers from across Asia.
Foreign workers seek help
SOME 50 unemployed Bangladeshi migrant workers gathered in front of Singapore's Ministry of Manpower on Monday, urging the government to give them work and help retrieve overdue pay from previous employers.
The shipyard workers said they were promised new jobs by ministry officials when they were moved out of their employers' dormitories after their firms went bankrupt and could not pay them.
'No job, no money, only eating and sleeping,' said Mr Tutul Abdul Manan, a 31-year-old who said he gave up his temporary job with the government in the Bangladeshi capital of Dhaka and paid some $9,000 for a brokerage fee to work in Singapore.
The Bangladeshi migrants were allowed to meet officials after an hour of waiting.
'We are trying to help them negotiate with their employer discreetly. But they have become more and more savvy by inviting the media here,' one government official said at the gathering.
Singapore's construction, shipyard and manufacturing industries were once red hot, hiring almost 800,000 migrants in 2007.
But as the economy slid into recession last year, demand for labour dived and major projects were cancelled or delayed.
Human rights groups say many of the world's estimated 100 million migrant workers are in dire predicaments as economic woes in the Gulf, Singapore and Taiwan lead to mass layoffs of labourers from across Asia.
Thursday, January 15, 2009
Two NGOS Call for More Steps Be Taken for Foreign Workers
This article appeared on Channel NewsAsia on 15 January 2009:
Two NGOS call for more steps be taken for foreign workers
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid
SINGAPORE: Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have urged more steps be taken for foreign workers affected by the economic crisis to be adequately compensated.
In a joint statement to the media, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) said that most of the affected workers are from the marine sector.
TWC2 has met 800 workers who have not had access to work since they were brought into Singapore, abandoned by their employers and had not been paid their due salaries.
300 shipyard workers faced with the same predicament had also come to HOME complaining of poor housing, lack of food and neglect by their employers when they were ill.
Some of them received compensation for the days on which they have had no access to work, but the amount was usually said to be well below the full wages due.
Hence, the NGOs hope more can be done to assist such workers.
For example, they want affected workers to be compensated for the remaining validity period of their work permits, including the full wages due to them.
They are also calling for stiffer penalties on errant employers who fail to pay wages on time.
Two NGOS call for more steps be taken for foreign workers
By Hetty Musfirah Abdul Khamid
SINGAPORE: Two non-governmental organizations (NGOs) have urged more steps be taken for foreign workers affected by the economic crisis to be adequately compensated.
In a joint statement to the media, the Humanitarian Organisation for Migration Economics (HOME) and Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) said that most of the affected workers are from the marine sector.
TWC2 has met 800 workers who have not had access to work since they were brought into Singapore, abandoned by their employers and had not been paid their due salaries.
300 shipyard workers faced with the same predicament had also come to HOME complaining of poor housing, lack of food and neglect by their employers when they were ill.
Some of them received compensation for the days on which they have had no access to work, but the amount was usually said to be well below the full wages due.
Hence, the NGOs hope more can be done to assist such workers.
For example, they want affected workers to be compensated for the remaining validity period of their work permits, including the full wages due to them.
They are also calling for stiffer penalties on errant employers who fail to pay wages on time.
Monday, October 20, 2008
Thai 'Sex Slaves' Smuggled To S'pore Yearly
The New Paper reported that the Bangkok Post ran a story last Sunday about Thai women being trafficked to remote locations in Singapore where they are held as 'sex slaves'.
In July this year, police busted a vice den for foreign workers at Loyang Way and arrested five men and a Thai prostitute. The barren field near Pasir Ris had been a haven for gamblers and foreign workers seeking cheap sex.
In March, the police found another forest brothel in Yishun operated by Thai nationals.
Previously, they had also raided wooded areas in Lim Chu Kang Road and Woodlands.
THE police conducted 950 vice-related operations islandwide and arrested 5,400 foreign prostitutes last year.
There were no figures available for the number of raids conducted or people arrested at forest brothels.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs said: 'The police do not tolerate vice offences regardless of where they occur and will act on intelligence and complaints of any such illegal activities reported.'
The police are mindful that some of the women may have been forced into prostitution or brought here against their will, and all arrested foreign sex workers are interviewed.
'If this turns out to be the case, the police will investigate to identify and prosecute potential offenders responsible,' the spokesman said.
The police also arrange for these women to be sheltered in government-aided or other homes.
The police do not turn a 'blind eye' to any offences here.
'Human trafficking is not tolerated any more than trafficking of arms or drugs or any other such serious criminal activity,' the spokesman said.
'The police are ready to cooperate with counterparts in the region and beyond in the investigation of any such criminal activity which may be transnational in nature.'
Source: The New Paper
In July this year, police busted a vice den for foreign workers at Loyang Way and arrested five men and a Thai prostitute. The barren field near Pasir Ris had been a haven for gamblers and foreign workers seeking cheap sex.
In March, the police found another forest brothel in Yishun operated by Thai nationals.
Previously, they had also raided wooded areas in Lim Chu Kang Road and Woodlands.
THE police conducted 950 vice-related operations islandwide and arrested 5,400 foreign prostitutes last year.
There were no figures available for the number of raids conducted or people arrested at forest brothels.
A spokesman for the Ministry of Home Affairs said: 'The police do not tolerate vice offences regardless of where they occur and will act on intelligence and complaints of any such illegal activities reported.'
The police are mindful that some of the women may have been forced into prostitution or brought here against their will, and all arrested foreign sex workers are interviewed.
'If this turns out to be the case, the police will investigate to identify and prosecute potential offenders responsible,' the spokesman said.
The police also arrange for these women to be sheltered in government-aided or other homes.
The police do not turn a 'blind eye' to any offences here.
'Human trafficking is not tolerated any more than trafficking of arms or drugs or any other such serious criminal activity,' the spokesman said.
'The police are ready to cooperate with counterparts in the region and beyond in the investigation of any such criminal activity which may be transnational in nature.'
Source: The New Paper
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