By Shabnam Muzammil:
In a recent blog post, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) revealed that 300 site inspections were carried out over the last four months in an effort to curb unacceptable living conditions among foreign workers.
This corresponds to over a third of the 865 inspections conducted for the whole of last year when 1,062 employers were warned, fined or charged in court. So far this year, 428 employers have been taken to task.
Senior housing enforcement officer Yusri Mohammed Ali also encouraged the public to help eradicate the problem by providing pictures and specific information on such cases to the authorities.
“Detailed information allows us to sieve the various tip-offs, and find out which ones require more immediate attention, and which may be false,” wrote Yusri, adding that the Ministry receives around 20 tip-offs each week.
“If we feel strongly about helping affected workers, it is important to understand that more specific information means more timely interventions.”
Earlier this month, five dormitories inspected due to a tip-off were found to have unacceptable living conditions. The employers responsible were given two to four weeks to move their workers to more suitable housing.
Shabnam Muzammil, Senior Journalist at PropertyGuru, wrote this story. To contact her about this or other stories email shabnam@propertyguru.com.sg
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