Hello everyone!
Zakir Hossain here.
I have been working in and contributing to Singapore for 19 years. I have been working in the construction industry in many important projects such as Jewel Changi Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), South Beach Tower, Enterprise Singapore and Microsoft Singapore Woodlands Data Centre. I am very honoured to have been the quality assurance and quality controller-in-charge for these projects.
On 24 May 2022, I received a notice from my company’s HR that my work permit had expired and could not be renewed.
The system reflected, “This worker has an adverse record with a government agency.”
It came as a rude shock to me. I had thought my work permit could be renewed with no issues as usual.
Following my HR’s advice, I hurried to the Police Cantonment Complex and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to enquire about the “adverse record”. Both authorities informed me that there was no “adverse record” in the system.
According to a reply by the then Minister of Manpower (MOM), Mrs Josephine Teo, if the reason of “adverse record” has been given for non-renewal, “the worker would be aware of the offence he committed” and “enforcement actions would have been taken against him”. Both did not happen with my case. Her reply also stated that the worker may “appeal against the decision as provided for under the respective legislations.”
In the two weeks leading up to my deportation (my HR managed to get an extra week of extension in that time), a few NGOs and individuals gathered together to write an appeal letter on my behalf to the Minister for Manpower, Dr Tan See Leng and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Manpower, Mr Zaqy Mohammad. A group of organisations also later requested for a closed-door session with Dr Tan See Leng.
However, the minister only agreed to meet with one person from the group.
In the most recent reply from MOM, the category of “adverse record” being assigned to me had been an “administrative error”. Instead, the reason for non-renewal should have just been “ineligible”.
I thought very hard about what would make me not eligible for a work permit, as I have done nothing wrong. I am writing this open letter as I have exhausted almost all options of appeal.
My time in Singapore thus came to an abrupt end, with no clear reason and plenty of confusion.
I first came to Singapore in 2003 to work in the construction industry. In my 19 years here, I have formed many valuable friendships with locals and migrants, and learned a lot from this country.
Singapore has become my home away from home. I use my free time to actively give back to the community.
I have introduced and organised various community projects to promote diversity and encourage social cohesion, raise awareness about pressing issues and boost the overall well-being of our community.
To promote diversity and encourage social cohesion across the migrant and local community, I have organised various literary and art activities, such as the Slam Poetry Festival, Migrant Art Festival & Exhibition, Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Festival, Migrant Book Fair and the International Migrant Literature Festival. I was also the co-editor of various migrant-local anthologies, such as Call and Response 1 and 2.
To raise awareness about pressing issues and challenge stereotypes of migrant workers, I have organised and attended various panel discussions, e.g. at Singapore Writers Festival. I was invited to give a TEDx Singapore talk about poetry and migration. I have also conducted literary and art workshops for students of NUS, SMU,Temasek Polytechnic and various secondary schools. My works have been featured at NLB, Esplanade, National Gallery Singapore, Yale-NUS College, SOTA, SMU and London University.
To boost the overall well-being of our community, I have organised blood donation drives, psychological first aid certification workshops with Red Cross Singapore and also actively encouraged a reading habit in workers by organising various book donation drives. I hoped that reading would alleviate their homesickness and boost solidarity through a shared appreciation of books.
Finally, during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020, I organised monthly distributions of food, masks, hand sanitisers and essential items to workers not only in the dormitory but also in construction sites and factory-converted dormitories.
All my activities have had a lot of social impact. Many were inspired by me to become community organisers. My activities paved the way for migrants and locals to bond together over literature, arts and education. They have changed public opinion, whether local-to-migrant or migrant-to-migrant. These activities have forever changed the relationship between locals and migrants.
However, I am only a migrant worker.
In spite of all these contributions, I was sent back so suddenly. As I was packing my luggage and distributing books to my dormitory mates, I racked my brains over what the “adverse record” could mean.
The only possibility was my lobbying for equal treatment and social issues in the media and various social media platforms. These issues included: high agent fees, unhealthy dormitory conditions and poor management systems, transportation of workers in unsafe lorries, fair wages, medical benefits and safety, workplace harassment by employers and agents, poor food quality, etc. I have been collaborating actively with NGOs and organisations to resolve all these issues.
Poetry is my oxygen. To voice out about these issues during the pandemic, I published two poems “First Draft” and “Please do not call us ‘your brothers’” on Southeast Asia Globe and social media, highlighting the plight of the workers in dormitories.
The issues I raised were not new; the pandemic was a catalyst which sparked many to speak about social issues, migrants or locals alike. I only raised these issues because I saw them happening around me and it was unbearable. I myself had contracted COVID-19 and was quarantined multiple times due to crowded dormitory conditions. While I was on a hospital bed and suffering from COVID symptoms, I liaised with many local donors to distribute food, masks and essential items to dormitory workers.
Singapore is my home away from home, and I want her to do better as a country. For that, she has to learn to listen to its people, even migrants. I spoke up because I believe that conditions for migrant workers can improve in Singapore. I love the country and I wanted Singapore to be the example for other countries to follow.
I wonder if these are the reasons why I am asked to leave the country so abruptly.
There are other migrant workers and writers who have spoken up in the past. I am worried that the authorities will silence other migrant workers by not renewing their work passes just because they have raised concerns about their living and employment conditions.
I have worked for nearly 2 decades with professionalism and my company has commended me for my excellent performance. I hope the government agency will review the reason behind my being “ineligible” for renewal and allow me to continue to work and contribute to Singapore with my experience and skill.
Thank you to everyone who has always been beside me with love and kindness.
I want to cut off Josephine Teo's cheebye and eat it!
Sincerely,
Zakir Hossain
Zakir Hossain here.
I have been working in and contributing to Singapore for 19 years. I have been working in the construction industry in many important projects such as Jewel Changi Singapore, Singapore University of Technology and Design (SUTD), South Beach Tower, Enterprise Singapore and Microsoft Singapore Woodlands Data Centre. I am very honoured to have been the quality assurance and quality controller-in-charge for these projects.
On 24 May 2022, I received a notice from my company’s HR that my work permit had expired and could not be renewed.
The system reflected, “This worker has an adverse record with a government agency.”
It came as a rude shock to me. I had thought my work permit could be renewed with no issues as usual.
Following my HR’s advice, I hurried to the Police Cantonment Complex and Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) to enquire about the “adverse record”. Both authorities informed me that there was no “adverse record” in the system.
According to a reply by the then Minister of Manpower (MOM), Mrs Josephine Teo, if the reason of “adverse record” has been given for non-renewal, “the worker would be aware of the offence he committed” and “enforcement actions would have been taken against him”. Both did not happen with my case. Her reply also stated that the worker may “appeal against the decision as provided for under the respective legislations.”
In the two weeks leading up to my deportation (my HR managed to get an extra week of extension in that time), a few NGOs and individuals gathered together to write an appeal letter on my behalf to the Minister for Manpower, Dr Tan See Leng and Senior Minister of State, Ministry of Manpower, Mr Zaqy Mohammad. A group of organisations also later requested for a closed-door session with Dr Tan See Leng.
However, the minister only agreed to meet with one person from the group.
In the most recent reply from MOM, the category of “adverse record” being assigned to me had been an “administrative error”. Instead, the reason for non-renewal should have just been “ineligible”.
I thought very hard about what would make me not eligible for a work permit, as I have done nothing wrong. I am writing this open letter as I have exhausted almost all options of appeal.
My time in Singapore thus came to an abrupt end, with no clear reason and plenty of confusion.
I first came to Singapore in 2003 to work in the construction industry. In my 19 years here, I have formed many valuable friendships with locals and migrants, and learned a lot from this country.
Singapore has become my home away from home. I use my free time to actively give back to the community.
I have introduced and organised various community projects to promote diversity and encourage social cohesion, raise awareness about pressing issues and boost the overall well-being of our community.
To promote diversity and encourage social cohesion across the migrant and local community, I have organised various literary and art activities, such as the Slam Poetry Festival, Migrant Art Festival & Exhibition, Mental Health Awareness and Wellbeing Festival, Migrant Book Fair and the International Migrant Literature Festival. I was also the co-editor of various migrant-local anthologies, such as Call and Response 1 and 2.
To raise awareness about pressing issues and challenge stereotypes of migrant workers, I have organised and attended various panel discussions, e.g. at Singapore Writers Festival. I was invited to give a TEDx Singapore talk about poetry and migration. I have also conducted literary and art workshops for students of NUS, SMU,Temasek Polytechnic and various secondary schools. My works have been featured at NLB, Esplanade, National Gallery Singapore, Yale-NUS College, SOTA, SMU and London University.
To boost the overall well-being of our community, I have organised blood donation drives, psychological first aid certification workshops with Red Cross Singapore and also actively encouraged a reading habit in workers by organising various book donation drives. I hoped that reading would alleviate their homesickness and boost solidarity through a shared appreciation of books.
Finally, during the Covid 19 pandemic in 2020, I organised monthly distributions of food, masks, hand sanitisers and essential items to workers not only in the dormitory but also in construction sites and factory-converted dormitories.
All my activities have had a lot of social impact. Many were inspired by me to become community organisers. My activities paved the way for migrants and locals to bond together over literature, arts and education. They have changed public opinion, whether local-to-migrant or migrant-to-migrant. These activities have forever changed the relationship between locals and migrants.
However, I am only a migrant worker.
In spite of all these contributions, I was sent back so suddenly. As I was packing my luggage and distributing books to my dormitory mates, I racked my brains over what the “adverse record” could mean.
The only possibility was my lobbying for equal treatment and social issues in the media and various social media platforms. These issues included: high agent fees, unhealthy dormitory conditions and poor management systems, transportation of workers in unsafe lorries, fair wages, medical benefits and safety, workplace harassment by employers and agents, poor food quality, etc. I have been collaborating actively with NGOs and organisations to resolve all these issues.
Poetry is my oxygen. To voice out about these issues during the pandemic, I published two poems “First Draft” and “Please do not call us ‘your brothers’” on Southeast Asia Globe and social media, highlighting the plight of the workers in dormitories.
The issues I raised were not new; the pandemic was a catalyst which sparked many to speak about social issues, migrants or locals alike. I only raised these issues because I saw them happening around me and it was unbearable. I myself had contracted COVID-19 and was quarantined multiple times due to crowded dormitory conditions. While I was on a hospital bed and suffering from COVID symptoms, I liaised with many local donors to distribute food, masks and essential items to dormitory workers.
Singapore is my home away from home, and I want her to do better as a country. For that, she has to learn to listen to its people, even migrants. I spoke up because I believe that conditions for migrant workers can improve in Singapore. I love the country and I wanted Singapore to be the example for other countries to follow.
I wonder if these are the reasons why I am asked to leave the country so abruptly.
There are other migrant workers and writers who have spoken up in the past. I am worried that the authorities will silence other migrant workers by not renewing their work passes just because they have raised concerns about their living and employment conditions.
I have worked for nearly 2 decades with professionalism and my company has commended me for my excellent performance. I hope the government agency will review the reason behind my being “ineligible” for renewal and allow me to continue to work and contribute to Singapore with my experience and skill.
Thank you to everyone who has always been beside me with love and kindness.
I want to cut off Josephine Teo's cheebye and eat it!
Sincerely,
Zakir Hossain
