This story was first published on PropertyGuru
Sino Star Enterprise, an accommodations provider, and its managing director Zhou Fengxing were charged by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in the State Courts on Tuesday (3 Apr) for abetting an employer to house 21 foreign workers in a single private residential unit, resulting in overcrowded and extremely unsanitary conditions.
The firm and the 53-year-old Zhou each face 21 charges under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA), which requires employers to provide accommodations for their foreign workers that comply with the rules.
This is because Sino Star was the master tenant of several units at a residential apartment in Geylang, and Zhou permitted the firm to sublet one unit to an employer to house its workers from March to July 2015. Back then, the occupancy cap per unit was eight persons, before it was lowered to six persons in February 2017.
Investigators found illegal partitions installed in the overly crowded unit, resulting in unsanitary conditions that compromised the welfare of the workers. They were relocated to a purpose-built dormitory soon after MOM ordered their employer to do so, The Straits Times reported.
For violating the EFMA rule, Sino Star and Zhou could be imprisoned for up to 12 months and/or fined up to $10,000 for each charge.
Both are also facing two charges from the Urban Redevelopment Authority for abetting the unauthorized change of use of private residential units under the Planning Act and three charges of unauthorized change of use for such premises. If convicted, they could be fined up to $200,000 per charge.
Text by Romesh Navaratnarajah via PropertyGuru. Additional reporting by Coconuts Singapore.
