💸 One of the S’pore firms implicated in the migrant worker abandonment case in June allegedly had a “history of not paying workers properly”, according to TWC2.
➡️ https://bit.ly/4bt9Dlg
Follow us @mothershipsg
Here’s the full breakdown of the case:
📌 Background
In late June 2026, over 100 migrant workers approached the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) Services Centre for help with unpaid salaries and housing issues; eventually, more than 400 workers filed wage claims. Air-conditioning contractor KPA Engineering was one of the implicated firms.
📂 Record of non-payment
Nonprofit Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) revealed the company had a long history of salary problems dating back to March 2025:
- Mar 2025: A worker was owed 1 month’s pay
- May 2025: An assistant supervisor hadn’t been paid properly since Jan 2025, owed ~S$3,000
- Jun 2025: A construction worker was owed S$4,500
- Oct 2025 & Jun 2026: 3 more workers sought help, 2 of them owed 3 months’ wages
⚠️ Issues with resolution
- Some employers settled only part of the owed amount, and desperate workers often agreed to less to get any income at all — TWC2 says this effectively lets defaulting employers get an unfair "discount".
- Partial settlements are not distinguished from full settlements in TADM’s official statistics.
- Workers also fear retaliation or job loss if they file claims, and success is not guaranteed even after making a claim.
🔎 Financial troubles
The firm showed signs of cashflow issues as early as 2023–2024: HSBC and DBS both filed legal claims over unpaid debts, with DBS’s charges still unsettled.
📢 Calls for change
TWC2 is pushing for a centralised wage protection system, so authorities can detect late or missing payments automatically, instead of placing the burden on workers to report violations.
🚔 Latest updates
- MOM is investigating labour law breaches, assisting workers, and helping them secure new jobs.
- The director of KPA Engineering (Ramu Palani Velu, a Singapore PR) has returned to Singapore after reportedly trying to leave, had his passport impounded, a
nd is cooperating with investigations.