Couple sentenced to jail for falsely declaring guesthouse employee as maid

SINGAPORE: A married couple were convicted on Nov 2 for conspiring to make a false declaration in the work permit application for a 35-year-old Filipino woman, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Wednesday (Nov 10).

Kay Siew Hwa, 58, and her husband, Woon Meng Fatt, 61, were each sentenced to six weeks in prison for their offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.

MOM investigations found that Kay had interviewed Pirante Jean Delmo for a job as a housekeeper at K2 Guesthouse, which Kay owned, in August 2018.

Kay and Delmo reached an agreement that Kay would apply for a foreign domestic worker permit for Delmo instead of an S Pass, which she required for the job.

However, Kay had already employed a maid, 37-year-old Filipino Martin Mylene Alinsangan, and did not qualify to hire a second maid.

She, therefore, roped in Woon to apply for a foreign domestic worker permit for Delmo using his name.

“Woon made a false declaration in Delmo’s work permit application that he would employ her as a migrant domestic worker,” MOM said.

“He further substantiated his need for a migrant domestic worker for his mother and brother’s special caregiving needs by submitting a doctor’s memo in his appeal.”

Delmo subsequently entered Singapore in October 2018 and proceeded to work as a housekeeper at K2 Guesthouse for about a year until the offences were uncovered.

Delmo was sentenced to six weeks in prison on Nov 24, 2020, for making a false declaration to MOM in her work permit application form. She was also permanently barred from working in Singapore.

In addition to her sentence of imprisonment, Kay was fined S$9,000 for illegally employing Alinsangan as a housekeeper without a valid work pass.

In response to a CNA query, MOM said that Alinsangan was issued a stern warning for working without a valid work pass under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. She will be permanently barred from working in Singapore.

“Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, migrant domestic workers are only allowed to perform household and domestic duties for the official employer and at the residential address as stated on the work permit card,” MOM said.

For making false declarations in work pass applications, offenders can be fined up to S$20,000, jailed for up to two years, or both.

“Errant employers will have their work pass privileges suspended, and the work pass applicant will also be permanently barred from working in Singapore,” MOM said.