Man fined for running unlicensed employment agency
By Kimberly Spykerman | Posted: 26 November 2012 1731 hrs
SINGAPORE: A man was fined $60,000 by a district court on Monday for running an unlicensed employment agency.
Samuel Tang Yong Meng, 45, brought in three Chinese nationals into Singapore after sourcing them from China. The offence took place between April and May last year.
A second charge for committing the same offence between October 2010 and March 2011 was taken into consideration.
Tang did not have a licence from the Commissioner of Employment Agencies that authorised him to carry on the business of an employment agency.
The court heard that Tang would approach restaurants and offer them foreign workers for employment. He also provided them with the bio-data needed to apply for work pass applications.
Tang would also pick the Chinese nationals up from the airport, take them for their medical checkups, and bring them to the restaurants to start work. Each time, he was paid between $800 and $1,200.
Tang would use part of this sum to buy medical insurance for each worker, and pocket the rest of the cash as his service fee.
The court heard that Tang had previously been convicted in 2007 of a similar offence.
According to the Ministry of Manpower, Tang is the first repeat offender to be convicted for operating an unlicensed employment agency under the revised Employment Agencies Act , which came into effect in April 2011.
- CNA/de
