Jail, fine for last of three brothers who illegally employed foreign workers at fairs
Some workers who were illegally employed to work at Geylang Serai bazaar had no proper lodging and slept on the floors of the stalls.
This audio is generated by an AI tool.
SINGAPORE: A 52-year-old man was sentenced on Thursday (Jan 4) to one month's jail and a S$23,000 (US$17,300) fine for illegally employing five foreign workers without valid work passes to work at fairs.
Ker Eng Kiat is the last of three brothers – the other two are 53-year-old Ker Eng Hock and 41-year-old Ker Yong Sen – to be convicted of such employment offences.
WORKERS SLEPT ON STALL FLOORS AT GEYLANG SERAI BAZAAR
Officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) conducted an inspection at the Geylang Serai bazaar on Apr 4 last year.
Ker Eng Kiat and Ker Eng Hock had rented food stalls at the bazaar between March and April, during which they had employed six foreigners as stall assistants.
Their job scopes included the preparation and sale of food, 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," said MOM in a press release on Friday.
The Kers did not provide proper lodging for the workers. Some of them slept on the floor of the food stalls after the stalls were closed for the day.
Ker Eng Hock was sentenced on Sep 7, 2023 to a S$6,000 fine for illegally employing a foreign worker without a valid work pass.
ANG MO KIO PASAR MALAM
In a separate case, Ker Yong Sen and his accomplice Tan Hoe Soon, 70, were fined for engaging in a conspiracy to hire two foreign workers without valid work passes.
Tan and Ker Yong Sen rented a food stall at Ang Mo Kio pasar malam from March to April last year, hiring two foreign workers as food stall assistants to prepare and sell food, as well as collect cash from customers.
MOM officers conducted inspections at the fair on Mar 31 and Apr 4 last year.
Similar to the first case, both foreign workers were on social visit passes and did not have valid work passes. They were also not provided proper lodging by Tan and Ker Yong Sen.
Tan and Ker Yong Sen were fined S$8,500 each in September last year.
MOM highlighted a third separate case involving 47-year-old Sao Wei Loon, who was sentenced in October last year to two months' jail and fined S$45,000, for illegally employing 11 foreign workers without work passes.
He had rented food stalls at a fair outside Hillion Mall in October 2022, hiring foreign workers who were on social visit passes.
All 19 foreign workers who were employed by these five people have been barred from working in Singapore, said MOM.
Anyone who employs a foreign worker without a valid work pass can be jailed for up to 12 months, fined between S$5,000 and S$30,000, or both.
