Singapore’s Ministry of Manpower announced it has convicted five individuals for illegally employing foreign workers at temporary fairs.

Officers from the Ministry conducted an inspection at the Geylang Serai Bazaar on 4 April 2023. Investigations revealed that both Eng Kiat and Eng Hock had rented food stalls at the Bazaar between March and April 2023. During the period of rental, they had employed six foreigners as stall assistants.

Their job scopes included the preparation and sale of food products, as well as the collection of cash from customers. The six foreign workers were on social visit passes and did not have valid work passes to work as stall assistants. These foreign workers were not provided proper lodging by Eng Kiat and Eng Hock. Some of the foreign workers had slept on the floor of the food stalls stall they worked at, after the stalls closed for the day.  

Both were convicted for illegal employment offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act 1990 (EFMA).

Kiat, who was previously convicted in 2013 for illegal employment offences, was sentenced today to one months’ imprisonment and a fine of SGD 23,000 (USD 17,277) - in default 46 days’ imprisonment - for illegally employing five foreign workers without valid work passes. Hock was convicted and sentenced on 7 September 2023 to an SGD 6,000 (USD 4,507) fine for illegally employing one foreign worker without a valid work pass.

Ministry officers conducted separate inspections at the Ang Mo Kio Pasar Malam on 31 March and 4 April 2023. Investigations found that both Tan Hoe Soon and Ker Yong Sen had rented a food stall at the Ang Mo Kio Pasar Malam from March to April 2023. They hired two foreign workers as food stall assistants to prepare and sell food products, as well as the collection of cash from customers. Both foreign workers were on social visit passes and did not have valid work passes to work as stall assistants. Similar to the first case, these foreign workers were not provided proper lodging by Tan and Yong Sen.

Both Soon and Yong Sen were convicted for engaging in a conspiracy to hire two foreign workers without valid work passes. Soon and Yong Sen were sentenced on 14 and 19 Sep 2023 respectively to a fine of SGD 8,500 (USD 6,385) each.

In a third case, Sao Wei Loon was convicted and sentenced on 3 October 2023 to two months’ imprisonment and a fine of SGD 45,000 (USD 33,804) (in default three months’ imprisonment) for illegally employing 11 foreign workers without valid work passes.

Ministry officers also conducted an earlier inspection on 26 October 2022 at a temporary fair located outside Hillion Mall. Investigations revealed that Loon had rented food stalls to sell food products at the fair in October 2022. Loon eventually hired 11 foreign workers who were on social visit passes and did not apply for work passes for any of them.   

The Ministry warned Under the EFMA, any person who employs a foreign worker without a valid work pass is liable on conviction to a fine of at least SGD 5,000 (USD 3,756) and not more than SGD 30,000 (USD 22,536) or to imprisonment for a term not exceeding 12 months or to both.