Penalties for Foreign Domestic Workers Who Give False Information or Accuse Employers Wrongly

31 Er Dr Lee Bee Wah asked the Minister for Manpower (a) what are the penalties for foreign domestic workers who give false information or accuse employers wrongly; and (b) how many of such complaints has the Ministry received in the past three years.

Mrs Josephine Teo: The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) takes all complaints seriously, whether they are made by an employer or an Foreign Domestic Worker (FDW). Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), giving false information, or making false allegations is an offence punishable by imprisonment of up to two years, and/or a fine of up to $20,000. An FDW who is found guilty will also be banned from employment in Singapore.

From 2016 to 2018, MOM investigated and took action against 25 FDWs who gave false information and/or made false accusations. Eight FDWs were prosecuted and sentenced to jail for up to eight weeks, or fined up to $9,000. Two were issued composition fines of $2,000. The remaining 15 were issued warnings. All 25 FDWs were repatriated and banned from employment in Singapore.