Foreign worker hanged himself after losing work permits
(Updated: Thurs 6.48pm, added Ministry of Manpower’s comments)
A 20-year-old foreign worker who was found hanged last year killed himself out of guilt for unwittingly getting friends involved in a scam, a court heard on Wednesday, according to media reports.
In October, Bangladeshi national Md Roni Miya Md Rajaul Karim introduced five friends of the same nationality to a contact named Pabal who offered them part-time jobs, reported The New Paper (TNP).
All six then gave their work permits to Pabal, who could not be contacted afterwards. The sense of guilt coupled with his own concerns about not being able to repay his debts prompted Roni to take his own life, TNP reported, citing the court proceedings.
On 27 October, Roni was found hanged in his room at a foreign workers’ dormitory. It was revealed in court that he had used a piece of cloth and attached it to a pipe near the ceiling, the newspaper said.
Pabal has yet to be found and police investigations are ongoing.
A spokesperson for Transient Workers Count Too told Yahoo! Singapore that in such scams as described at court, the work permits are sold to illegal immigrants to help them gain employment.
A work permit is a card which looks similar to the identity card given to Singaporeans and permanent residents. It contains the worker’s name, work permit number and occupation.
However, the spokesperson noted that such instances are rare and the non-profit organisation does not come across them on a regular basis.
He also added that most workers are fully aware that the work permit is not something they should part with or sell, and they should make a police report if they lose it.
In reply to Yahoo! Singapore’s queries, a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) spokesperson said that foreign workers who have lost their work permit cards can apply for a replacement within seven days at the Work Pass Services Centre (WPSC) in Tanjong Pagar Complex.
A fee of $60 is imposed for each replacement card which will be available within four working days.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), anyone who gives or sells a work pass or uses any work pass that is issued to another person may be fined up to $15,000, or jailed up to 12 months, or both.
MOM urges anyone with information on foreign workers who have abused their work permit cards to call (65) 64385122 or email mom_fmmd@mom.gov.sg. All information will be kept strictly confidential.
It added that under MOM’s work permit conditions, foreign workers should only work for the employer specified in their work permit. A worker who is caught working for another employer other than that stated in his work permit may be fined up to $5,000, or jailed up to 12 months, or both.
