Worker jailed five weeks for criminal trespass
By Shaffiq Alkhatib | Posted: 21 July 2011 1331 hrs
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SINGAPORE: Twenty-seven-year-old construction worker, Yang Wei, could have lodged a complaint with the Manpower Ministry after his employer did not pay him his salary of S$5,000.
Instead, the China national took matters into his own hands on July 4.
He entered a construction site at Changi South Avenue 2, climbed up to a crane tower control cage 30 metres above the ground and refused to come down until he received the money.
Yang was Thursday sentenced to five weeks' jail for criminal trespass.
A safety coordinator at the construction site, 34-year-old Tang Yee Chiang, spotted him in the cage and told him to come down.
When Yang refused, Mr Tang climbed up to him and tried to convince him to return to safety.
Yang told him that Zhong Jiang International owed him money and had also shortchanged him on salary as well as medical claims.
Soon after this, Mr Tang contacted the site's supervisor, Ding Jia Gen, who was employed by the same company, informing him about the situation.
Forty-three-year-old Mr Ding asked his main office to prepare the money.
One of his colleagues then handed it over to a placated Yang who climbed down from the cage.
Lawyers, Ms Sheela Kumari Devi and Mr Gregory Vijayendran represented Yang in court.
Mr Vijayendran told District Judge Low Wee Ping that their client committed the offence due to "overwhelming emotional stress".
The lawyer added that Yang is the sole breadwinner of his family and has a sick mother who is semi-paralysed and asked for a light custodial sentence.
Deputy Public Prosecutor Grace Lim however pressed for a deterrent one of at least eight weeks' jail.
She said this would send out a strong message to other workers that they should not resort to similar tactics to resolve their disputes.
The S$5,000 owed to Yang is now with the authorities and will be returned to him after his release.
- CNA/cc