Dayalan Sreebalan, the chairman of the Malaysia-Singapore Workers Task Force, told FMT that the task force was aware of the wage dispute case. However, none of the affected workers had approached him.

Recently, a video went viral showing some workers arguing with their Singaporean employer. In the video, the employer can be heard saying that workers who demanded their wages should “go back to Malaysia”.

“You don’t (be) like that. Not happy, never mind, go back to Malaysia. I welcome you to work, but if you are not happy with me, then never mind. You wanna play politics then go back to Malaysia and do it,” said the employer.

He also refused the workers’ request to provide documentation in “black and white”, insisting that he will pay them “on the third week of this month”.

Dayalan said his organisation was aware of the situation, but so far none of the affected workers has approached them. “From my knowledge, they are still negotiating with the employer to get their wages paid.

“Singapore’s manpower ministry is aware of the case and is investigating it,” said Dayalan.

As for Malaysian workers who have returned home and have yet to be paid by the company, the task force advised them to file police reports and submit them to the Singapore high commission.

Dayalan also said the task force could only pressure the human resources ministry to act on the matter.

“We will push the Malaysian government to get their high commission to act on this matter,” said Dayalan.

Malaysian Trades Union Congress (MTUC) secretary-general Kamarul Baharin Mansor said that such a case should have never happened in a country like Singapore which has ratified the International Labour Organization charter.

Kamarul also said MTUC will write to the human resources ministry so that it will investigate this matter.

“If this wage dispute case is true, then the company must pay the wages owed to the Malaysian workers,” said Kamarul.