The member of Progress Singapore Party (PSP) Jeffrey Khoo took to Facebook on Thursday (22 October) to encourage Singaporeans to report on employers who practice unfair hiring if they spot them.
He said that it’s not easy for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) alone to detect these offenders, and this is why the public should stay alert and report these offenders to the authorities.
“It’s not easy for MOM to catch these offenders. It takes all Singaporeans to be the eyes and ears on the ground. Don’t be afraid to call TAFEP,” he said.
He added, “Terrible that a company pre-selected an applicant that signed the employment contract BEFORE the advertisement had expired. But nothing is stopping them from waiting for the advertisement to expire and then sign the contract.”
If that’s not all, Mr Khoo also said that some of the unreasonable reasons he heard from employers who rejects Singaporeans include “lack of personality, lack of leadership skills and not strategic enough”.
As such, the PSP member offered a number of solutions that can be taken by the authorities to curb this issue.
The first suggestion is for MOM to “insist on the reasons that a Singaporean applicant is rejected”, adding that if the reason is deemed invalid, then the employer will be slapped with penalties.
Another suggestion by Mr Khoo is for MOM to designate one individual to look after each industry. “This person must be formerly from this industry and know its practices,” he explained.
If that’s not all, the alternative party member also recommended that a heavy fine couple with suspension should be imposed as it can deter such unfair hiring practices.
Lastly, Mr Khoo suggested that there must be a 100 percent safe channel for locals to report on unfair hiring cases to MOM without the fear of them losing their jobs. “MOM needs to assure Singaporeans it’s safe and encourage them to bring up such matters.”
“Not everything can be solved by the government. As a people, we need to take steps to cultivate a culture to protect our own,” Mr Khoo concluded.