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Migrant workers housed in bedbugs-infested rooms at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory, says employer

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4 years ago

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An employer of migrant workers residing at Westlite Toh Guan dormitory, which is still gazetted as an isolation area, revealed that his workers are living inside rooms infested with bedbugs.

The employer revealed to TOC that a complaint has been made to the relevant authorities a week ago, but action was only taken Thursday (13 August).

The workers have just moved into the rooms on 3 August after being shifted from Block 18 of the dormitory where they had been staying for the past three and half months to Block 28 of the dormitory.

According to the pictures sent by the employer to TOC, we can see that the walls in the room are covered with bedbug stains. The boss of the company added that the pictures were taken on 3 August. This means that the affected migrant workers have been living in the rooms for over a week, being bitten by the bedbugs, the employer noted.

If that’s not all, the employer also revealed that he immediately alerted Raining Raincoats, an organisation for the benefit of migrant workers, of the situation after he was informed of it. Following that, the organisation also raised the matter to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) but no action was taken, that is until last Thursday.

Moreover, the employer also pointed out that only two rooms in which his employees are staying were treated with thinner Thursday. The other rooms in the dormitory were left untouched.

“We reported last week but only yesterday they (the dormitory) did the thinner,” the employer said.

To make it worse, when the application of thinner was being carried out in the affected rooms, the workers were not allowed to leave and had to put up with the smell while the treatment was happening, the employer said.

An affected worker staying in Block 28 of the dorm told TOC that the dormitory operator sprayed thinner and painted the room without asking the workers to leave the room.

Thinner application being carried out while workers trapped in room

Now, this raises question of the migrant workers’ safety as sniffing thinner can cause damage to the brain, kidney, lung and reproductive system.

The dorm operator also did not allow the workers to take any photo or video while the application of the thinner solution was being done. However, photos were still taken nevertheless.

Given that Westlite Toh Guan dormitory is still an isolation area, workers are still confined within their own rooms.

According to the dorm’s website, it stated that “tamper-proof stickers (are) pasted on residents’ doors to check that residents do not leave their room”.

While this move can be deemed necessary to reduce social mingling at the dorm to contain the spread of COVID-19, it seems rather puzzling that these workers were not allowed to leave the room while the hazardous process of applying thinner was being done.

Workers health deteriorated over time

The employer also claimed that his workers were very healthy during the lockdown but their health began to deteriorate after workers from other companies were made to mix with them and scattered around the dorm.

“Our workers keep the room very clean. Their health has gotten bad to worse. The problem only started when they brought other workers (from other companies), scattered workers all over the place,” he said.

In fact, the employer also asserted that one of his workers was even made to live with two other workers who were tested positive for the deadly coronavirus. He said that his employee slept on the top of the bunk bed, while the two infected workers slept below him.

Based on the pictures below, we can see that there is very little social distancing among the workers. This is obviously risky given that two COVID-19 positive patients also lived in the same room.

Adding to that, the employer also shared how the rooms are stuffy as the windows can only be open one-sided. This means that if the room door is shut, then it makes it difficult for air to circulate well in the room.

“Imagine putting 7-8 persons in a room, the size of a 3-room flat living room,” he commented.

Additionally, the employer also disclosed that the beds are arranged very closely to each other at Acacia Lodge 534 Bukit Batok. It appears that one of the employer’s S Pass holder resides at this dorm.

As such, the employer said that this particular S Pass holder is not allowed to come to the office to work even if he is cleared to resume work. This is because there had been two cases of COVID-19 cases in his room itself, the employer said.

If that’s not all, the employer also noted that the affected worker told him that the room was not even sanitised by the dorm operator. He added that all the workers are still staying in the room and they have to clean and sanitise the room all by themselves.

TOC has reached out to Westlite Toh Guan dormitory for their comment on this matter and has yet to receive a reply.

Update 20 Aug: Westlite clarified that there had been an application of thinner within 24 hours of receiving a message from the Migrant Worker Centre on 7 August and a second application on the 13 August.

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Hotel Properties Limited suspends trading ahead of Ong Beng Seng’s court hearing

Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has halted trading ahead of his court appearance today (4 October). The announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at about 7.45am, citing a pending release of an announcement. Mr Ong faces one charge of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts and another charge of obstruction of justice. He is due in court at 2.30pm.

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13 hours ago

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4 October 2024

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SINGAPORE: Hotel Properties Limited (HPL), the property and hotel developer co-founded by Mr Ong Beng Seng, has requested a trading halt ahead of the Singapore tycoon’s scheduled court appearance today (4 October) afternoon.

This announcement was made by HPL’s company secretary at approximately 7.45am, stating that the halt was due to a pending release of an announcement.

Mr Ong, who serves as HPL’s managing director and controlling shareholder, faces one charge under Section 165, accused of abetting a public servant in obtaining gifts, as well as one charge of obstruction of justice.

He is set to appear in court at 2.30pm on 4 October.

Ong’s charges stem from his involvement in a high-profile corruption case linked to former Singaporean transport minister S Iswaran.

The 80-year-old businessman was named in Iswaran’s initial graft charges earlier this year.

These charges alleged that Iswaran had corruptly received valuable gifts from Ong, including tickets to the 2022 Singapore Formula 1 Grand Prix, flights, and a hotel stay in Doha.

These gifts were allegedly provided to advance Ong’s business interests, particularly in securing contracts with the Singapore Tourism Board for the Singapore GP and the ABBA Voyage virtual concert.

Although Iswaran no longer faces the original corruption charges, the prosecution amended them to lesser charges under Section 165.

Iswaran pleaded guilty on 24 September, 2024, to four counts under this section, which covered over S$400,000 worth of gifts, including flight tickets, sports event access, and luxury items like whisky and wines.

Additionally, he faced one count of obstructing justice for repaying Ong for a Doha-Singapore flight shortly before the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) became involved.

On 3 October, Iswaran was sentenced to one year in jail by presiding judge Justice Vincent Hoong.

The prosecution had sought a sentence of six to seven months for all charges, while the defence had asked for a significantly reduced sentence of no more than eight weeks.

Ong, a Malaysian national based in Singapore, was arrested by CPIB in July 2023 and released on bail shortly thereafter. Although no charges were initially filed against him, Ong’s involvement in the case intensified following Iswaran’s guilty plea.

The Attorney-General’s Chambers (AGC) had earlier indicated that it would soon make a decision regarding Ong’s legal standing, which has now led to the current charges.

According to the statement of facts read during Iswaran’s conviction, Ong’s case came to light as part of a broader investigation into his associates, which revealed Iswaran’s use of Ong’s private jet for a flight from Singapore to Doha in December 2022.

CPIB investigators uncovered the flight manifest and seized the document.

Upon learning that the flight records had been obtained, Ong contacted Iswaran, advising him to arrange for Singapore GP to bill him for the flight.

Iswaran subsequently paid Singapore GP S$5,700 for the Doha-Singapore business class flight in May 2023, forming the basis of his obstruction of justice charge.

Mr Ong is recognised as the figure who brought Formula One to Singapore in 2008, marking the first night race in the sport’s history.

He holds the rights to the Singapore Grand Prix. Iswaran was the chairman of the F1 steering committee and acted as the chief negotiator with Singapore GP on business matters concerning the race.

 

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Chee Soon Juan questions Shanmugam’s $88 million property sale amid silence from Mainstream Media

Dr Chee Soon Juan of the SDP raised concerns about the S$88 million sale of Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow at Astrid Hill, questioning transparency and the lack of mainstream media coverage. He called for clarity on the buyer, valuation, and potential conflicts of interest.

Published

2 weeks ago

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23 September 2024

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On Sunday (22 Sep), Dr Chee Soon Juan, Secretary General of the Singapore Democratic Party (SDP), issued a public statement on Facebook, expressing concerns regarding the sale of Minister for Home Affairs and Law, Mr K Shanmugam’s Good Class Bungalow (GCB) at Astrid Hill.

Dr Chee questioned the transparency of the S$88 million transaction and the absence of mainstream media coverage despite widespread discussion online.

According to multiple reports cited by Dr Chee, Mr Shanmugam’s property was transferred in August 2023 to UBS Trustees (Singapore) Pte Ltd, which holds the property in trust under the Jasmine Villa Settlement.

Dr Chee’s statement focused on two primary concerns: the lack of response from Mr Shanmugam regarding the transaction and the silence of major media outlets, including Singapore Press Holdings and Mediacorp.

He argued that, given the ongoing public discourse and the relevance of property prices in Singapore, the sale of a high-value asset by a public official warranted further scrutiny.

In his Facebook post, Dr Chee posed several questions directed at Mr Shanmugam and the government:

  1. Who purchased the property, and is the buyer a Singaporean citizen?
  2. Who owns Jasmine Villa Settlement?
  3. Were former Prime Minister Lee Hsien Loong and current Prime Minister Lawrence Wong informed of the transaction, and what were their responses?
  4. How was it ensured that the funds were not linked to money laundering?
  5. How was the property’s valuation determined, and by whom?

The Astrid Hill property, originally purchased by Mr Shanmugam in 2003 for S$7.95 million, saw a significant increase in value, aligning with the high-end status of District 10, where it is located. The 3,170.7 square-meter property was sold for S$88 million in August 2023.

Dr Chee highlighted that, despite Mr Shanmugam’s detailed responses regarding the Ridout Road property, no such transparency had been offered in relation to the Astrid Hill sale.

He argued that the lack of mainstream media coverage was particularly concerning, as public interest in the sale is high. Dr Chee emphasized that property prices and housing affordability are critical issues in Singapore, and transparency from public officials is essential to maintain trust.

Dr Chee emphasized that the Ministerial Code of Conduct unambiguously states: “A Minister must scrupulously avoid any actual or apparent conflict of interest between his office and his private financial interests.”

He concluded his statement by reiterating the need for Mr Shanmugam to address the questions raised, as the matter involves not only the Minister himself but also the integrity of the government and its responsibility to the public.

The supposed sale of Mr Shamugam’s Astrid Hill property took place just a month after Mr Shanmugam spoke in Parliament over his rental of a state-owned bungalow at Ridout Road via a ministerial statement addressing potential conflicts of interest.

At that time, Mr Shanmugam explained that his decision to sell his home was due to concerns about over-investment in a single asset, noting that his financial planning prompted him to sell the property and move into rental accommodation.

The Ridout Road saga last year centred on concerns about Mr Shanmugam’s rental of a sprawling black-and-white colonial bungalow, occupying a massive plot of land, managed by the Singapore Land Authority (SLA), which he oversees in his capacity as Minister for Law. Minister for Foreign Affairs, Dr Vivian Balakrishnan, also rented a similarly expansive property nearby.

Mr Shanmugam is said to have recused himself from the decision-making process, and a subsequent investigation by the Corrupt Practices Investigation Bureau (CPIB) found no wrongdoing while Senior Minister Teo Chee Hean confirmed in Parliament that Mr Shanmugam had removed himself from any decisions involving the property.

As of now, Mr Shanmugam has not commented publicly on the sale of his Astrid Hill property.

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