SINGAPORE - Officers who conducted an inspection at an eatery in Jalan Besar were respectful, polite and calm and not disruptive and rude, said the Ministry of Manpower (MOM).
Refuting claims made by the restaurant in two Facebook posts, a MOM spokesman said the ministry has reviewed the video footage of the inspection, and has established that it was done appropriately.
In an e-mail response to queries from The Straits Times on Wednesday, the spokesman said: “In response to the allegations made through Don Signature Crab / Chicken Pie Kitchen’s Facebook posts, we have reviewed the footage recorded on the body-worn camera, and ascertained that the inspection was conducted appropriately, according to the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) powers vested in our officers.
The officers found two foreigners working in the restaurant who might have committed an offence under the EFMA.
On Monday and Tuesday, in two Facebook posts, the eatery said seven people from MOM showed up at Don Signature Crab/Chicken Pie Kitchen premises and, without giving proper introductions, demanded to see identification from all workers.
The Facebook posts also claimed the officers “barged into different areas such as our pastry room and kitchen without wearing any masks or face shields on”, and that a staff member was forced to sign documents.
In his reply to ST, the MOM spokesman said officers conducted an hour-long inspection at Chicken Pie’s premises in Tyrwhitt Road on Monday at 5pm.
The officers were wearing MOM warrant cards, had identified themselves and explained the purpose of the inspection to the company’s staff at the start of the inspection, he added.
The warrant card identifies the officer as an authorised MOM officer and includes identification features such as MOM’s logo and the officer’s photograph. During inspections, officers can interview employees, request their identifcation cards and conduct searches in the premises, according to their powers under EFMA.
The spokesman said: “They had politely requested for identification from the company’s staff as part of the inspection. Our officers were respectful and calm throughout the inspection. They were mindful to minimise disruptions to the company’s operations and not affect the two diners who were present during the inspection.”
The spokesman added that the officers provided the contact number of the team’s supervisor to one of the company’s directors, who also helped to confirm that the officers were from MOM.
“He did not raise further objections after the exchange,” he added.
During the inspection, the officers found two foreigners working in the restaurant who might have committed an offence under the EFMA, and they were asked to stop work immediately.
The spokesman said: “Our officers established that two foreigners found working in the restaurant might have committed an offence under the EFMA, and they were asked to immediately stop work at Don Signature Crab / Chicken Pie Kitchen.
“MOM has commenced investigations into the company for potential employment-related offences.”
These checks are routine, and officers can show up unannounced.
In one of the two Facebook posts, the restaurant said: “All our staff are fully legitimate – they have their relevant work passes, are paid their rightful salary, and we follow the letter of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act to the letter.”
After the inspection, the restaurant filed a police report early on Tuesday morning.
Speaking to ST on Tuesday, one of the company’s directors, Mr Kelvin Leong, 34, said all his staff had work passes and that he renews them himself.
He said: “All this was very strange to us, they didn’t even want to provide a receipt or letterhead because usually there’s a paper trail... We were also scared and told the staff to go home first.”
“We also talked to other business owners, who said their experience (with inspections) was nothing like this...officers were professional and polite and everything was done properly,” he added.
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This article was first published in The Straits Times. Permission required for reproduction.
