Two to be charged for instructing foreign workers to hold placards in illegal protests

SINGAPORE: Two people will be charged in court on Tuesday (May 27) for allegedly organising illegal public assemblies involving foreign workers.

The duo, a 33-year-old woman and a 36-year-old man, will also be charged for abetting foreign workers to commit offences under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA).

In a joint press release on Monday (May 26), the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and the police said that the woman is accused of directing 15 foreign workers under her employment to gather outside two construction sites on Oct 24 last year.

She also instructed the workers to hold placards to demand payments owed to her company. 

At the first construction site along Jalan Satu, she allegedly gave six workers four placards and instructed them to stand outside the site with the signs, the statement said.

The woman then allegedly hired a delivery service to deliver another four placards to nine other foreign workers with similar instructions at the second construction site along Tengah Garden Walk.

The authorities added that the man, who will be charged in court along with the woman, had aided the offence by going to the second construction site to "ensure that the foreign workers complied with the woman's instructions". 

"The duo and the foreign workers did not have a permit under Section 7 of the Public Order Act (POA) to carry out these public assemblies," said MOM and the police.

"Investigations into the 15 foreign workers for their involvement have concluded and no further action will be taken against them as the police had ascertained that they were acting under the instructions of their employer and had no intention of breaking the law."

Last October, MOM said on Facebook that it was aware of a social media post regarding several migrant workers holding placards at a worksite on Oct 24, 2024.

"MOM has engaged the migrant workers involved," the ministry said. "The workers shared that they were not owed salary payments and did not report any well-being concerns."

Then-Law and Home Affairs Minister K Shanmugam, when asked in parliament by former Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Hazel Poa about the incident, also reiterated that the workers were not owed salary payments and had no well-being concerns.

"MOM is also investigating the employer for illegally deploying the workers and abetting the workers to perform illegal acts under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, and will take appropriate actions if necessary," said Mr Shanmugam. 

The police reminded the public that organising or taking part in a public assembly without a police permit in Singapore is illegal and is an offence. 

Anyone found organising a public assembly without a permit can be fined up to S$5,000 (US$3,893). 

Under the EFMA, anyone found abetting a foreign employee to break the terms of his work pass can face up to 12 months' jail, be fined up to S$10,000, or both.