Employer of hundreds of unpaid migrant workers back in Singapore: Manpower Ministry
Ramu Palani Velu, a director of KPA Engineering and SK Industries, has had his passport impounded.
Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash speaking to the media at Kranji Recreation Centre on Jun 28, 2026. (Photo: CNA/Ooi Boon Keong)
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SINGAPORE: The employer of more than 400 migrant workers who have not been paid for months has returned to Singapore, Minister of State for Manpower Dinesh Vasu Dash said on Sunday (Jun 28).
Mr Ramu Palani Velu, a Singapore permanent resident, is currently assisting with investigations and his passport has been impounded.
Mr Velu is a director of KPA Engineering and SK Industries, and is listed as a director of five other Singapore companies, including VVR Plant Engineering – whose workers have also gone unpaid for months.
The firms provide air-con repair and installation, plumbing and construction services.
Speaking to reporters during a visit to Kranji Recreation Centre, where he met workers from the three firms, Mr Dinesh said the Ministry of Manpower takes a serious view of breaches to the Employment Act and Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, and that action would be taken if necessary.
"These are very serious offences, and I hope our employers will be able to support our migrant workers and workers in general," he said.
He added that migrant workers owed salaries should reach out to the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management for help recovering their wages.
Hundreds of workers from KPA Engineering and SK Industries had sought help earlier this week over unpaid wages. More than 100 had also turned up at MOM's service centre at Bendemeer.
The National Trades Union Congress and the Migrant Workers' Centre (MWC) said they will draw from their funds to give each worker S$200 in cash and vouchers for daily expenses, provided the workers are MWC members or register to become one.
Labour chief Ng Chee Meng said on Friday that over 80 companies had offered close to 400 job vacancies, with placements set to begin next week. He added that workers will be relocated to a single lodging facility to better coordinate support.
About 20 of the affected workers have already landed jobs in equivalent sectors, Mr Dinesh said.
He expects the vast majority – if not all – of the remaining workers to be placed within two to three weeks, and thanked MWC and the Singapore Contractors Association for coming forward with job opportunities.
About 230 workers currently at Tuas View Dormitory will be moved to an onboarding centre in Sengkang, where lodging and food will be provided.
Temples, the Hindu Endowments Board and the Hindu Advisory Board have also stepped forward to provide workers with goodie bags.
"It's important for them to move back to some degree of normalcy, and for them to be supported during this difficult time," Mr Dinesh said.
Around 280 workers from the three affected companies joined the recreational activities at the centre on Sunday, which included watching a World Cup match. Recreation centres are spaces for migrant workers to shop, play sports and attend events.
At noon, Mr Dinesh distributed chicken briyani to workers at the centre. He also spoke to some of the affected workers during lunch.
Three workers told reporters that they have been going for job interviews.
Among them is Mr Aruraj Edison Raj, who came to Singapore in 2019 and worked for KPA Engineering for one-and-a-half years. He has attended two interviews and has discussed his salary terms with the potential employers. He is now waiting to receive a transfer letter before joining a new company.
While he is owed three months' salary, the father of three said the latest developments and support have brought him some solace. But he was still worried about his family.
"Even though it was a problem to not have a salary for three months, here I have food. But I don't have a solution for my family who's depending on me," the 35-year-old said in Tamil.
"Every day, there were problems. It's a time when I struggled on how I was going to face them," he said. Mr Aruraj added that he was told to be patient for two weeks, during which food and salary will be prepared for him.
Bangladeshi national Kawsar, who was with SK Industries, has likewise gone for two job interviews with companies he knew about, having worked in Singapore for the past 25 years.
Recalling his ordeal over getting his salary, Mr Kawsar said his boss would always promise the workers that their wages would come the following week. But the money never came.
Then last weekend, the employer stopped sending the daily job schedule.
"Everybody understood something happened. On Monday, workers went to the MOM (services centre)," he said.
On how he was feeling now, he said: "I have food, I have housing (here). But how about my family? I cannot help my family right now ... for three months already.
"My children are very small ... My son asked me, 'When will you get salary?' I cannot answer. I just keep quiet."
