Firm, general manager charged with not sending foreign workers for Covid-19 routine testing

SINGAPORE — A manufacturing company and its general manager were charged on Tuesday (July 27) with failing to send three migrant workers for rostered routine testing for Covid-19. 

This is the first time a company or individual has been prosecuted for such an offence.

Bescoat Manufacturing, a paint and coatings manufacturer located at 32 Tuas Avenue 9, and Tan Siew Lee, 48, each face one charge under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act. 

Under guidelines issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), employers have to schedule their foreign employees for a swab test every 14 days. 

Court documents showed that Bescoat and Tan allegedly contravened work pass regulations by failing to send Iran Anak Lingau, Nagenthyran Krishman and Dinesh Karpaya for testing.

Such tests are “critical to public health efforts to detect and contain the transmission of Covid-19”, MOM said in a press release on Tuesday.

Workers who reside in dormitories are required to undergo such testing due to the greater risk of transmission associated with communal living, it added.

The ministry has handed out composition fines and stern warnings to 10 companies over the past seven months for not complying with testing requirements. 

These breaches occurred despite regular reminders, it said.

It is unclear if Tan or Bescoat were previously reminded or fined.

Both indicated that they will plead guilty and will return to court on Aug 26.

If convicted, the firm could be fined up to S$10,000. Tan could be similarly fined up to S$10,000 or jailed for up to a year, or both, if convicted.