SeaPRwire

Some employers in Singapore holding on to maids’ passports illegally

aseanpr
5 minutes

SINGAPORE - A new initiative to pay random visits to employers and their foreign domestic workers has uncovered some instances of employers illegally holding on to their workers' passports and work permits. The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) has made 200 such checks since last month. Domestic workers and migrant welfare groups told The Straits Times (ST) that the new measures, which include conducting more in-person interviews with maids, would help ensure decent living and working arrangements for them. Advocacy groups, however, said that mandating proper conditions would be even better. In response to queries from ST, an MOM spokesman said: "Thus far, employers have been supportive and allowed our officers to interview their migrant domestic workers (MDWs)." The initiative comes on the heels of a few cases where domestic helpers were badly abused. In February, housewife Gaiyathiri Murugayan admitted to starving and torturing Myanmar maid Piang Ngaih Don, 24, leading to her death. As at December last year, 247,000 work permits had been issued for foreign domestic workers, the MOM spokesman added. MOM also said its officers are trained to look out for signs of abuse and pick up cues of...

SeaPRwire

Former radio DJ Daniel Ong fined $65,000 over underpaid workers at Twelve Cupcakes

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Former radio DJ Daniel Ong Ming Yu, 45, was fined $65,000 on Friday (May 21) for failing to prevent Twelve Cupcakes from underpaying its foreign workers. Ong had co-founded the confectionery chain in 2011 with then-wife artiste, Jaime Teo Chai-lin, 43. He pleaded guilty to 10 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. Another 14 similar charges were taken into consideration for sentencing. Teo was fined $65,000 in March after pleading guilty to 10 similar charges. The duo employed foreign workers in 2012, and seven of those workers were underpaid between 2013 and 2016. They included four customer service executives, two sales executives and a pastry chef. The pastry chef was supposed to receive a monthly salary of $2,300 in mid-2014, but received $1,600 instead and continued receiving the lower salary until mid-2016. The court heard the arrears in salary totalling $98,900 from when the pair owned the company remained outstanding to the workers. No restitution has been made. Ong and Teo sold the firm to Kolkata-based Dhunseri Group for $2.5 million in 2016. In January, Twelve Cupcakes, under its current owner, was fined $119,500 for underpaying seven of its fo...

SeaPRwire

MES Group companies, directors face 553 charges of employment offences including false salary declarations

aseanpr
3 minutes

SINGAPORE - Three companies and their five directors were charged on Thursday (March 18) with making false salary and employment declarations in work pass applications. They are also facing charges of illegally employing foreigners without valid work passes and making employees work excessive overtime hours. The companies are Mini Environment Service, Labourtel Management Corporation and MES Logistics - all of which are part of property and logistics solutions company MES Group. The five directors are Chew Chain Loon, 56; Fathimunnisa Mohamed Abdul Jaleel, 37; Haja Nawaz, 52; Parvis Ahmed Mohamed Ghouse, 44; and Mohamed Jinna Mohamed Abdul Jaleel, 38. They are all Singaporeans. In all, the companies and directors are facing 553 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act and the Employment Act, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) said on Thursday. MOM said it had acted on a tip-off in 2019 and mounted a special operation to probe allegations of illegal conduct at the MES Group of companies. Investigations revealed that between November 2009 and May 2019, Mini Environment Service had allegedly deployed its workers to work for Labourtel and MES Logistics without valid work passes...

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Foreign Minister Vivian Balakrishnan and US Secretary of State Antony Blinken discuss Asean cooperation, Covid-19, Myanmar situation in phone call

aseanpr
2 minutes

SINGAPORE - Singapore Minister for Foreign Affairs Vivian Balakrishnan and his US counterpart Antony Blinken discussed Asean cooperation, Covid-19, climate change and Myanmar situation on Wednesday (Feb 10) as they reaffirmed bilateral ties in a telephone call. Dr Balakrishnan congratulated Mr Blinken on his appointment as Secretary of State. "They reaffirmed the excellent and longstanding relations between Singapore and the United States, and the strong and growing cooperation in defence and security, as well as in trade and investment. "They also agreed to collaborate closely on the global response to Covid-19 and climate change," Singapore's ministry of foreign affairs said in a statement. Dr Balakrishnan welcomed the Biden administration's efforts to engage with the region and strengthen cooperation with Asean and other regional partners. "They also agreed to collaborate closely on the global response to Covid-19 and climate change," the statement added. Mr Ned Price, US State Department spokesman said in a separate statement confirming the phone call: "Secretary Blinken and Foreign Minister Balakrishnan reflected on the enduring friendship and shared interests between our nati...

SeaPRwire
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School fees unchanged for S’poreans, PRs next year; small rise for non-Asean foreign students

aseanpr
1 minute

SINGAPORE - The Ministry of Education (MOE) said on Wednesday (Dec 9) it will not be making any changes to school fees for Singapore citizens, permanent residents and students from Asean. However, there will be an increase of about 3 per cent in fees for non-Asean foreign students in government and government-aided schools, which takes effect from January 2021. These students will pay $25 to $50 more per month. The revision is part of MOE's regular review of school fees. Primary school education is free for Singaporeans, while those in secondary schools and at the pre-university level pay monthly fees of $5 and $6 respectively. The standard miscellaneous fees also remain unchanged next year. More on this topic Related Story Lower fees at more pre-schools next year with expanded partner operator scheme Related Story Coronavirus: Autonomous universities freeze fee hikes for citizens, offer more financial aid to students in need

ACN Newswire
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Shenzhen Global Investment Promotion Conference to be held December 8

indie
3 minutes

SHENZHEN, CHINA, Dec 4, 2020 - (ACN Newswire) - The 2020 Shenzhen Global Investment Promotion Conference is sponsored by the Shenzhen Municipal Government and undertaken by the Shenzhen Municipal Bureau of Commerce. It will officially start in Wuzhou Guest House on December 8th.Since the beginning of this year, Shenzhen has actively overcome the impact of COVID-19, improved the business environment and promoted the projects of domestic and foreign investment enterprises. Shenzhen also plans to consolidate its position as a target of foreign investment by providing an attractive package of incentive policies, including land, talents, industry, technology and business environment."The conference is an extremely important platform to showcase the ambition of the city, a pilot demonstration area of socialism with Chinese characteristics, and to give further impetus to its trajectory," commented a spokesman of the city's Commerce Bureau.The conference, to be held annually, is bound to become a must-attend attraction for global investors seeking to tap into new opportunities arising from China's reform and opening up.According to the official, despite the ongoing global COVID-19 pandemic...