Director jailed 27 months for bringing in foreign workers without intention to hire

A 46-year-old Singaporean has been sentenced to 27 months' jail for bringing in foreign workers without the intention to employ them, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) in a press release on Sunday (Apr 17). 

Between May and November 2013, Lim Kien Peng had obtained work passes for 30 foreign employees for a business that was not in operation, said MOM, and had released the workers to seek their own employment. 

The company, MNF Investments & Holdings Pte Ltd, was a shell company with no projects, contracts, profits or losses, the ministry added. 

MOM said, investigations showed two of the foreign employees had been made to pay S$8,000 for their work passes and that Lim admitted that he stood to gain at least S$30,000 by obtaining work passes for the foreign employees. 

Lim's sentence was based on five charges, with the remaining 25 taken into consideration. Authorities said Lim has been permanently barred from employing foreign workers. 

"This is one of the more severe cases involving the setting up of a shell company," said Mr Kevin Teo, Divisional Director of MOM's Foreign Manpower Management Division. 

"The accused had not only blatantly disregarded the law, but also left 30 foreign workers in a vulnerable state. A strong deterrence is necessary," he added.