Employers Issued with Warnings, Composition Fines or Charges for Kickback Offences

7 Mr Louis Ng Kok Kwang asked the Minister for Manpower for each year between 2016 and 2020, of the employers issued with warnings, composition fines or charged for kickback offences, how many workers have these employers been found to have collected kickbacks from.

The Senior Minister of State for Manpower (Dr Koh Poh Koon) (for the Minister for Manpower): Sir, I note that Mr Louis Ng^1,2 has filed two additional oral Parliamentary Questions (PQs) and one written PQ that are scheduled for subsequent Sittings. As all the next three PQs he has filed are on the issue of kickbacks, I will be addressing all these three PQs together with this particular one, please.

The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes stern action against employers or any other party who collect kickbacks from migrant workers as a condition or guarantee of employment.

Between 2016 and 2020, MOM took enforcement action against an average of 102 errant employers for collecting kickbacks from migrant workers. On average, there were about five migrant workers affected per employer. While the amount of kickbacks paid by each migrant worker to errant employers were recorded as part of investigation, MOM does not track this data in a structured manner. The typical amount of kickbacks paid by migrant workers could range from $1,000 to $3,000.

Once a kickback is being investigated, employers will not be allowed to repatriate the affected workers. To further support the migrant workers who are victims of kickbacks, MOM refers them to employment agency partners who will help to facilitate a change of employer for those who wish to continue to work in Singapore. These employment agencies are committed not to charge the affected migrant workers any fees. This would assure workers that they can continue to stay here to earn an income when they report their employers for the collection of kickbacks. MOM will also require the accused to return the kickbacks collected to these affected workers.

Between 2016 and 2020, about 20% of the affected migrant workers found new employment and about 30% chose to continue working for their current employer after the kickback issues were resolved. For the remaining workers, they chose to return home.

In recent years, MOM has made use of data analytics to identify and detect unusual patterns in hiring practices to better detect cases of kickbacks. However, it is much more effective if workers come forward to report such malpractices. MOM has also utilised data mining capabilities to strengthen evidence gathering and better enable MOM to take enforcement action against errant employers.

On the education and engagement front, MOM has stepped up our efforts to educate and engage migrant workers. For example, the topic on kickbacks is covered in the mandatory Settling-In Programme for first time work permit holders and MOM has published Facebook posts on identifying and reporting kickbacks which are also transmitted to migrant workers through the FWMOMCare app. Migrant workers who are asked to pay kickbacks, should immediately approach MOM for assistance. MOM will investigate and take all complaints and whistleblowing seriously.

11.31 am

Mr Speaker: Order. End of Question Time. The Clerk will now proceed to read the order of the day.

[Pursuant to Standing Order No 22(3), provided that Members had not asked for questions standing in their names to be postponed to a later Sitting day or withdrawn, written answers to questions not reached by the end of Question Time are reproduced in the Appendix.]