Following the tragic death of a migrant worker who was initially reported missing before being found dead at the site of a collapsed worksite at Tanjong Pagar, the Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) has since extended an ex-gratia payout to the deceased’s family.

Migrant Workers’ Centre’s statement

The Migrant Workers’ Centre (MWC) expresses deep sorrow over the tragic incident that occurred at the Tanjong Pagar worksite, resulting in the untimely passing of a migrant worker. The deceased Indian national worker was 20 years old and worked for Aik Sun Demolition and Engineering. Our thoughts and condolences are with the family members of the deceased worker during this difficult time.

MWC has taken immediate action to reach out to the employer of the deceased worker to gather all relevant information pertaining to this unfortunate incident. Our primary objective now is to ensure that the immediate needs of the affected worker’s family are met. We will extend an ex-gratia pay out through the Migrant Workers’ Assistance Fund (MWAF) to provide interim financial assistance to help his next-of-kin (NOK) to tide over while they await compensation from the Work Injury Compensation Act (WICA). We understand the impact such incidents can have on the livelihoods of the families involved and remain committed to providing a helping hand in times of crisis.

Additionally, MWC is aware of the emotional toll this incident may have on other workers who were present at the scene. While investigations are still ongoing to understand the circumstances that led to this tragedy, we must ensure that measures are put in place to provide support to the workers during this challenging period. We will extend counselling services to the workers who were working near the accident through our partners when the need arises. It is our aim to ensure that no worker is left alone in the aftermath of such distressing incidents, and we stand ready to provide comprehensive assistance.

MWC remains resolute in our commitment to safeguarding the welfare and rights of all migrant workers in Singapore. We will work closely with relevant authorities, employers, and other stakeholders to prevent workplace incidents and improve safety measures across industries. Every worker deserves a safe working environment, and we will continue to advocate for robust safety standards and strict enforcement.

We will continue to engage with employers, educate workers about their rights, and collaborate with all stakeholders to create a safer working environment for all. Migrant workers who require assistance can contact MWC via our 24-hour helpline at 6536 2692.

A migrant worker who was reported missing following the collapse of a worksite in Tanjong Pagar, was found dead on 15 June following extensive search and rescue operations.

Following the tragic incident, more details about the deceased have since been released.

The deceased worker, a 20-year-old Indian national, had arrived in Singapore merely ten months ago and was the primary provider for his family.

The 20-year-old is survived by his parents and a younger brother, who are currently in a state of disbelief and shock over the untimely demise of their son.

The victim, identified as Mr. Vinoth Kumar, hailed from a small village in the Indian state of Tamil Nadu, as shared by one of his cousins in an interview with Shin Min Daily News.

The Straits Times reported that Mr. Kumar arrived in Singapore in September 2022, approximately ten months ago. He had obtained the job through his granduncle, Mr. Raja, who worked in the same demolition company.

Upon receiving news of his grandnephew’s disappearance, Mr. Raja, who was responsible for Mr. Kumar’s welfare in Singapore, immediately rushed to the scene of the incident.

He reached the Tanjong Pagar worksite around 8 p.m., nearly two hours before the Singapore Civil Defence Force (SCDF) personnel were able to recover Mr. Kumar’s body from the rubble.

Heartbroken by the loss of his grandnephew, Mr. Raja expressed his emotions when asked to identify the body. The 44-year-old lamented to The Straits Times, saying, “He is my family, my baby. He grew up in my home, and I took care of him. How long can I continue to cry?”

Mr. Raja described Mr. Kumar as a responsible young man who only spent money on food, sending the remainder back to India every month.

Mr. Kumar’s parents worked odd jobs, earning a meager income of S$3 to S$4 per day. With Mr. Kumar’s steady earnings, he had become the sole breadwinner for the family.

Accompanied by a group of 10 friends and relatives, Mr. Raja went to Singapore General Hospital on the morning of June 16th to claim his grandnephew’s body. They plan to expedite the embalming process before repatriating the remains to India.

21-year-old Dang Mai Huyen Trang, a performing artist from Vietnam who was caught moonlighting at a bar, attempted to bribe a Singapore police officer with $100 so that he wouldn’t take any action against her.

The sergeant, a 24-year-old sergeant of the ground response force, refused the bribe, resulting in the arrest of Trang in the early hours of November 5, 2022.

Trang pleaded guilty in court on Friday (16 June) to a corruption charge and received a one-week prison sentence.

Background

During the incident, Trang held a valid work permit as a performing artist for a company called De Koma, which specializes in entertainment establishments.

On November 5, 2022 at about 1.45am, Trang was working on the side at Fusion Eight, a bar located in the basement of Fook Hai Building on South Bridge Road, when a police officer and two colleagues conducted an enforcement operation.

According to Deputy Public Prosecutor Brian Tan, “Suddenly, someone shouted ‘Police, run!’ in Vietnamese, and the accused fled the pub with other women.

As the officers approached Fusion Eight, they witnessed the accused and the other females running out, prompting the three police officers to split up and pursue them.

The police officer caught up with Trang and another Vietnamese woman in a corridor and requested their identification cards to perform further checks.

At that point, Trang took out a $50 bill from her bag and attempted to hand it to the officer, who declined the offer. Undeterred, she retrieved an additional $50 from her bag, offering a total of $100 to the officer.

The officer rejected her offer for the second time, resulting in her arrest at approximately 4:20 a.m.

During subsequent questioning, Trang admitted her awareness that offering money to police officers was illegal and acknowledged her attempt to offer cash to the ground response force sergeant in order to avoid arrest.

A driver collided with a man whose car had broken down on Ophir Road, resulting in his death, after consuming four glasses of red wine during dinner.

Ang Hiap Boon, aged 51, had a breath alcohol content that was more than twice the legal limit when the accident occurred in October 2020. On Friday, he pleaded guilty to two charges, including causing death by driving without due care and attention.

What happened?

On the night of October 26, 2020, Ang had consumed wine at a restaurant located on Syed Alwi Road. He then drove his wife’s white BMW towards his residence.

Ang traveled along Jalan Besar Road and made a left turn onto Ophir Road, where a slip road connects to the East Coast Parkway.

Although the speed limit on the slip road was 50km/h, Ang was driving between 64km/h and 74km/h.

In the left lane ahead of him, there was another white BMW that had broken down due to engine issues. The driver, Mr. Syed Kaleemullah Syed Erufanulla, aged 56, was standing outside his vehicle, which had its tail lights illuminated. He was walking from the rear to the driver’s side of the car when Ang collided with him.

The impact caused Mr. Syed to be thrown forward onto the road. He was unconscious when taken to Tan Tock Seng Hospital, where he later succumbed to his injuries.

A breathalyzer test conducted after the accident revealed that Ang’s breath alcohol content was 76 microgrammes per 100ml of breath, surpassing the legal limit of 35 microgrammes per 100ml of breath.

In court, footage from Ang’s in-car camera was shown, depicting the high-speed collision with the victim and his vehicle. The judge cautioned those present about the graphic nature of the video and offered an opportunity for anyone who wished to leave before its playback.

Repeat offender

This was not Ang’s first encounter with the law. The court learned that Ang, who held the position of vice-president of operations at a company and was a director in his own consulting firm, had previously been fined and disqualified from driving for 16 months in 2005 due to a drink driving offense. A list of his prior traffic violations, which included multiple instances of speeding and disregarding red light signals, was also presented in court.

Ang is considered a serious repeat offender, and his case is believed to be the first of its kind since the enhancement of traffic laws in 2019.

As a result, the judge requested further submissions from the prosecution and defense to provide guidance to the court, and subsequently adjourned the case. The next hearing is scheduled for August.

Persons who cause death by driving without due care and attention can face a maximum sentence of three years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to $10,000, or both.

A serious repeat offender may receive an additional prison term of up to four years and may also be subject to a driving ban.

For repeat drink driving offenses, offenders can be imprisoned for up to two years, fined between $5,000 and $20,000, and disqualified from driving for five years.

A Singaporean man, aged 28, is accused of mistreating two boys by assaulting them using a clothes hanger and punching them with his fists.

He was charged in court on Thursday (15 June) with 2 charges of ill-treating the two boys that was under his care, under the Children and Youing Persons Act.

Due to legal restrictions and confidentiality orders safeguarding the boys’ identities, specific details such as the location of the incident and the boys’ ages have been omitted from court documents and cannot be disclosed.

Based on the charges filed, it is alleged that in January 2023, the man directed the first boy to assume a push-up position. While the boy was in this position, the man purportedly struck his buttocks multiple times using a clothes hanger.

On March 1, 2023, at approximately 8pm, the man allegedly punched the second boy’s cheek repeatedly and also hit him on the back with a clothes hanger.

Currently, it remains unclear how the offenses came to light or the exact relationship between the accused and the boys.

During the court proceedings on Thursday, it was mentioned that a pending medical report from KK Women’s and Children’s Hospital would be considered.

The case has been adjourned until July for further discussion.

If found guilty of ill-treating a child under his care, the man could face a maximum sentence of eight years’ imprisonment, a fine of up to S$8,000 (US$5,983), or both penalties.

Other similar cases

A widely circulated video recently caught the attention of netizens, showing a woman scolding and hitting a female student at a tuition centre along Toa Payoh Central.

The footage, lasting two minutes and 51 seconds, was brought to public attention through multiple sources, including Facebook user Miu Tan.

The video shows a young girl kneeling before a woman wearing a black short-sleeved top. The girl holds her right hand up to her face while the woman, seated behind a desk seemingly grading assignments, strikes her repeatedly with a pen.

The woman verbally berates the girl in Vietnamese, accusing her of dishonesty. Subtitles in the video indicate that the girl denies the accusation and implores the woman to stop the physical assault.

During the confrontation, the woman’s anger escalates, leading her to strike the girl forcefully enough to cause the pen to fly out of her hand.

A boy seated nearby witnesses the altercation and returns the pen to the woman. The woman continues to berate the girl, using profanity and subjecting her to further physical assault before the video concludes.

MAN TO BE CHARGED FOR UNAUTHORISED TRANSACTIONS USING A FOUND CREDIT CARD

A 49-year-old man was arrested for allegedly using a found credit card to make unauthorised transactions amounting to more than $3,000.

On 30 March 2023, the Police received a report from a victim who discovered that several unauthorised transactions had been made using his missing credit card.

Investigations revealed that the 49-year-old man had allegedly found the victim’s credit card and used it to make more than 60 unauthorised transactions for purchases such as food items and transport rides, amounting to more than $3,000.

The man was also believed to be involved in a case of shop theft at a supermarket in a separate case.

The man will be charged in court on 16 June 2023 with cheating, theft in dwelling, cheating by personation and dishonest misappropriation of property under Section 420, Section 380, Section 419 and Section 403 of the Penal Code 1871 respectively.

The offence of cheating carries an imprisonment term of up to 10 years and a fine. The offence of theft in dwelling carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years and a fine.

The offence of cheating by personation carries an imprisonment term of up to seven years, a fine, or both.

The offence of dishonest misappropriation of property carries an imprisonment term of up to two years, a fine, or both.

The Police would like to remind members of the public that unauthorised use of another person’s credit / debit card is a serious offence and take a serious view against any person who commits fraud and the perpetrators will be dealt with in accordance with the law.

The Police would also like to advise all credit / debit card holders to call their card-issuing banks immediately if their credit/debit cards are lost or stolen, and to adopt the following crime prevention measures.

DOS

1. Keep your credit or debit cards safe with you at all times;
2. Opt in for SMS notifications to be sent to your mobile phone for any charges incurred on your credit or debit cards; and
3. Check your bank statements and alert the bank immediately should there be any discrepancies or unauthorised charges.

DON’Ts

1. Do not give out your credit or debit card details to unknown persons;
2. Do not reveal your OTPs to anyone; and
3. Do not expose your credit or debit cards. Keep the cards in your purse or wallet until you are ready to make your purchases.

PUBLIC AFFAIRS DEPARTMENT
SINGAPORE POLICE FORCE
15 June 2023 @ 10:35 PM