Written Answer by Mr Tan Chuan-Jin, Acting Minister for Manpower & Senior Minister of State, National Development, to Parliamentary Question on Provision of Proper Accommodation for Foreign Workers

Mr Zainal Sapari: To ask the Acting Minister for Manpower for each of the years from 2005 to 2012, what is the number of employers who have been warned or fined because of their failure to provide proper accommodation for their foreign workers.

Mr Tan Chuan-Jin:

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) issues warnings, composition fines of up to $2000 per charge, or prosecutes employers for housing their foreign workers in unacceptable accommodation. Employers convicted in Court face a fine of up to $5000 or 6 months imprisonment or both, for each count of offence.

Since 2005 to June this year, MOM has taken enforcement action against 7,660 employers for failing to provide acceptable accommodation for their foreign workers. As a result of MOM’s enforcement actions against these employers, over 50,000 foreign workers were relocated to acceptable accommodation. The table below provides a breakdown of the number of employers taken to task each year.

Unacceptable accommodation takes the form of makeshift shelters, bin centres, and illegally converted factory premises. In addition to taking errant employers to task, enforcement action may also be taken against dormitory operators if they are found to be responsible for the unacceptable conditions. They face similar penalties as the employers for abetting the offence.