The man initially disagreed with the plan but eventually gave in to help his wife's friend.
File photo of a domestic worker cleaning.
SINGAPORE: When his wife asked to hire her friend as a domestic worker even though she would not be working for their household, the man initially rejected the proposal.
However, he later relented and hired the woman so she could get a work permit.
Instead of working as their maid, the woman did part-time cleaning for seven other households over about seven months, earning a total of S$2,000 (US$1,470).
When the Ministry of Manpower discovered the offence, all three were hauled to court and sentenced to jail for the conspiracy.
The maid's employer, 38-year-old Singaporean Nurkhairul Achis, was sentenced to six weeks' jail and fined S$6,000 on Friday (Apr 12).
His wife, Ei Ei Khing Soe, was sentenced to six weeks' jail in August last year, while the maid, Yin Yin Htwe Hlaing, was given the same jail term in July.
Ei agreed to help if Yin paid her S$6,500. She then asked her husband Nurkhairul to employ Yin as his domestic worker.
Nurkhairul initially disagreed but relented after Ei said she wanted to help her friend.
Yin paid S$4,000 to Ei through Ei's family in Myanmar. Of that sum, S$1,000 was used to pay for the services of an employment agency that Nurkhairul engaged to process Yin's work permit.
The work permit was granted to Yin for the period December 2021 to November 2023, on the basis that she would be working for Nurkhairul as a maid.
Yin entered Singapore on Nov 29, 2021, and paid S$600 a month to Nurkhairul for rent and her work permit levy. She stayed at his house for about three months before moving elsewhere.
At all times, she did not work for Nurkhairul's household.
Instead, between January 2022 and July 2022, she did part-time cleaning for seven households without a valid work pass. A manager at a cleaning company had referred the jobs to her.
The offences came to light after the Manpower Ministry inspected a unit at Beach Road on Jul 28, 2022, and discovered Yin staying there.
Defence lawyer Shehzhadee Abdul Rahman, who took on the case under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, said her client's wife is the “headstrong one” who makes “all the decisions in the marriage”.
The lawyer said Nurkhairul would give in to his wife’s requests because he feared getting berated by her.
Ms Shehzhadee said her client should be jailed for a shorter term than his wife, as his role in the scheme was less than hers.
Nurkhairul pleaded guilty to two counts under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act of conspiring to make a false statement in a work pass application and aiding Yin in her crime of being self-employed without a valid work pass. A third charge was taken into consideration.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that the offence would not have been possible without Nurkhairul.
"Without him, this entire thing would not and could not have taken place, because there's no way Ei and Yin could have executed this on their own," she said, adding that such abuse of the work permit system should not be condoned.
File photo of a domestic worker cleaning.
SINGAPORE: When his wife asked to hire her friend as a domestic worker even though she would not be working for their household, the man initially rejected the proposal.
However, he later relented and hired the woman so she could get a work permit.
Instead of working as their maid, the woman did part-time cleaning for seven other households over about seven months, earning a total of S$2,000 (US$1,470).
When the Ministry of Manpower discovered the offence, all three were hauled to court and sentenced to jail for the conspiracy.
The maid's employer, 38-year-old Singaporean Nurkhairul Achis, was sentenced to six weeks' jail and fined S$6,000 on Friday (Apr 12).
His wife, Ei Ei Khing Soe, was sentenced to six weeks' jail in August last year, while the maid, Yin Yin Htwe Hlaing, was given the same jail term in July.
THE CASE
The court heard that Yin approached her friend Ei in June 2021 for help to obtain a work permit, intending to do part-time cleaning work for others.Ei agreed to help if Yin paid her S$6,500. She then asked her husband Nurkhairul to employ Yin as his domestic worker.
Nurkhairul initially disagreed but relented after Ei said she wanted to help her friend.
Yin paid S$4,000 to Ei through Ei's family in Myanmar. Of that sum, S$1,000 was used to pay for the services of an employment agency that Nurkhairul engaged to process Yin's work permit.
The work permit was granted to Yin for the period December 2021 to November 2023, on the basis that she would be working for Nurkhairul as a maid.
Yin entered Singapore on Nov 29, 2021, and paid S$600 a month to Nurkhairul for rent and her work permit levy. She stayed at his house for about three months before moving elsewhere.
At all times, she did not work for Nurkhairul's household.
Instead, between January 2022 and July 2022, she did part-time cleaning for seven households without a valid work pass. A manager at a cleaning company had referred the jobs to her.
The offences came to light after the Manpower Ministry inspected a unit at Beach Road on Jul 28, 2022, and discovered Yin staying there.
Defence lawyer Shehzhadee Abdul Rahman, who took on the case under the Criminal Legal Aid Scheme, said her client's wife is the “headstrong one” who makes “all the decisions in the marriage”.
The lawyer said Nurkhairul would give in to his wife’s requests because he feared getting berated by her.
Ms Shehzhadee said her client should be jailed for a shorter term than his wife, as his role in the scheme was less than hers.
Nurkhairul pleaded guilty to two counts under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act of conspiring to make a false statement in a work pass application and aiding Yin in her crime of being self-employed without a valid work pass. A third charge was taken into consideration.
The judge agreed with the prosecution that the offence would not have been possible without Nurkhairul.
"Without him, this entire thing would not and could not have taken place, because there's no way Ei and Yin could have executed this on their own," she said, adding that such abuse of the work permit system should not be condoned.
