Passport detained at MoM

[luy]

Will taking the money and getting out of this country right away solve your problem? It's a question you should answer yourself.

[Mad Scientist]

This is the first time I’m using the forum and thankful for having such platform to discuss.

I’m an expat in Singapore. Started working last August attached to a company engaged in sales and marketing. Recently I discovered that the company is paying only 50% of the salary which I’m to supposed to receive and what is been shown to MoM by the employer organizing the employment pass.

When inquired, the Managing Director states of company procedure and would continue to harass me at work.

So, I took a bold decision to quit and to return to my country. In doing so, yesterday I went to MoM and asked of the legal implications of cancelling my pass prematurely. Well, they wanted me to lodge a complaint which I did. With complaint in place my passport was taken away from me and the MoM issued a temporary letter. If I knew of passport suspension would have just left the country rather complaining of some employer who is violating law and order.

Being the victim, can they detain the passport of an expat? And most importantly, they wanted me to support in their investigations to prosecute the employer, which is not my interest!!! Adding more to this, now I’m jobless and would have to stay in Singapore till the conclusion of investigations; was told that it could take months and months!!!
Can this be the proper procedure???

Ashwin

There are alot of "cowboys" out there that would take advantage of vulnerable people. It is sad that you have being tricked by one of this slime ball.
Question
1. Do you still want to work here ?
2. Have you contacted your Embassy about this employer apart from MOM?They might to be able to give you legal advice.
There are many views the way I see it. If you take his money and withdraw chances are you will not be able to work here again
If you persevere which would be about six month investigation as usually MOM wants to make it stick on this scumbags so ... they will get more evidence from other employees.
Both ways would left you in a quandary.
Unless you can go back and have a deed poll and change your name etc... yeah take the money and come back with a different name and passport.
Or take the money like what other said and make it more sticky for them by reporting them to MOM and what they counter offer.
OR if you find the money more enticing, ask for more than what they offer , withdraw and scoot.
However if you are piss off and want to have a go at them yeah...make it worse by taking the money and make it more sticky !!
I am being angry here as these %$^hole you be left to rot in the prison.
The way I look at it , both ways you are at a losing end

[jpatokal]

Unless you can go back and have a deed poll and change your name etc... yeah take the money and come back with a different name and passport.

Which is why every visa form will ask you if a) you have had other names previously and b) if you have previously been granted entry to Singapore. The odds of getting caught if you lie may be slim, but you will definitely be blacklisted (at best) if caught.

[sundaymorningstaple]

And, as a note of record, There have already been Filipinas who have done just that and have been caught anyway coming through immigration. I was told it was by some sort of photo-recognition software being used but I cannot confirm it.

[Mad Scientist]

And, as a note of record, There have already been Filipinas who have done just that and have been caught anyway coming through immigration. I was told it was by some sort of photo-recognition software being used but I cannot confirm it.

SMS , JP I have no doubt what you said . However I know for a fact of at least three person that we know about that came back to work or live here. One was a WP , married overseas, 2 kids and came back with a different name and secure a PR. Another of different circumstances , his work permit was terminated but managed to come back and work for the firm we supply stuff too. The third was our ex neigbour.
I am not sure how they do it two was from sub continent and another came mainland. Nothing is impossible , of course the risk is very high too .

[sundaymorningstaple]

If they can swim across the straits using black plastic garbage bags and get through Singapore's vaunted coast guard then I don't doubt lots get by through via the walk-through turnstiles as well. But they are starting to catch them and as time passes and software programming gets better and better..... If any country can possibly do that kind of stuff, this is probably the one that can.

[jpatokal]

And, as a note of record, There have already been Filipinas who have done just that and have been caught anyway coming through immigration. I was told it was by some sort of photo-recognition software being used but I cannot confirm it.

If you asked me to set up a system to catch these guys, I'd look at birth dates (harder to change than your name) and fingerprints. Computers aren't too good at matching faces, but if the above two flag a probable match, a human can do the final step.

[sundaymorningstaple]

I reckon that will be de rigueur once all the databases become linked up with ICA. They will just have to place their hand on a glass panel and if they ever worked in Singapore before, bob's yer uncle!

[therat]

If you asked me to set up a system to catch these guys, I'd look at birth dates (harder to change than your name) and fingerprints. Computers aren't too good at matching faces, but if the above two flag a probable match, a human can do the final step.

fingerprints can be change.

That's how Huang Na mother did, in order to come back as study mother after she got blacklist from Singapore government

[Splatted]

I was told it was by some sort of photo-recognition software being used but I cannot confirm it.

It's probably the same software the big casino's use to catch MIT grad cheats, prostitutes, as well as big spenders that choose not to use loyalty cards.

Lots of HMV stores around the world also use it too.

[Koalabear]

I was told it was by some sort of photo-recognition software being used but I cannot confirm it.

It's probably the same software the big casino's use to catch MIT grad cheats, prostitutes, as well as big spenders that choose not to use loyalty cards.

Lots of HMV stores around the world also use it too.

you mean card counters?

[jpatokal]

fingerprints can be change.

Yeah, and you can get plastic surgery to change your face and a fake passport from a different country to match. But both of these are a lot harder and more expensive than just doing a deed poll to change your name...

[Mad Scientist]

fingerprints can be change.

Yeah, and you can get plastic surgery to change your face and a fake passport from a different country to match. But both of these are a lot harder and more expensive than just doing a deed poll to change your name...

To reconfirm what I was told , yes he did a deed poll to change not only his name basically everything right to the birth cert.
I can confirm this as he is my wife cousin's husband. Just had a word with her. So........ like I said and I am not encouraging this neither as this is stupid and putting your whole life at risk.......However there are creative people out there especially if their back is against the wall

[Splatted]

I was told it was by some sort of photo-recognition software being used but I cannot confirm it.

It's probably the same software the big casino's use to catch MIT grad cheats, prostitutes, as well as big spenders that choose not to use loyalty cards.

Lots of HMV stores around the world also use it too.

you mean card counters?

Yes, card counters are one of the things they watch out for. What all the U.S. casino's do is they order a copy of all the graduation books from each class at MIT, and load the photo's onto their servers as well as distribute them to all the other casinos.

They've been doing this for many years now.

HMV in the UK, on the other hand, sift through hours of footage to find an image of shoplifter's faces (after they notice stock seems to be missing) which they then load onto their server in the hope the shoplifter will strike again.

They've had a high success rate catching thieves during their second shoplifting attempt (and it doesn't have to be the same HMV store for them to catch them out).

Not sure whether this has been implemented internationally though.

[Koalabear]

It's probably the same software the big casino's use to catch MIT grad cheats, prostitutes, as well as big spenders that choose not to use loyalty cards.

Lots of HMV stores around the world also use it too.

you mean card counters?

Yes, card counters are one of the things they watch out for. What all the U.S. casino's do is they order a copy of all the graduation books from each class at MIT, and load the photo's onto their servers as well as distribute them to all the other casinos.

They've been doing this for many years now.

HMV in the UK, on the other hand, sift through hours of footage to find an image of shoplifter's faces (after they notice stock seems to be missing) which they then load onto their server in the hope the shoplifter will strike again.

They've had a high success rate catching thieves during their second shoplifting attempt (and it doesn't have to be the same HMV store for them to catch them out).

Not sure whether this has been implemented internationally though.

yes I know that because my friend worked in different casinos. Just wanna point out that card counting isn't cheating. You can arrest a cheater but you can only ask a card counter to leave.