SINGAPORE, May 31 — A Bangladeshi worker who was fired after being harassed by purported “loan sharks” left Singapore early today after an unsuccessful last-minute attempt to appeal for an extension of stay.
Mr Md Sharif Uddin’s flight back to Bangladesh departed at around 6.30am.
The Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) and the Ministry of Manpower (MoM) said in a joint statement close to midnight on Thursday that the authorities have reviewed the appeal but decided not to extend his current Special Pass to stay in Singapore beyond today.
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A resident of Marsiling-Yew Tee Group Representation Constituency had submitted the appeal to PM Lawrence Wong during a Meet-the-People Session on Mr Sharif’s behalf on Wednesday.
PM Wong is a Member of Parliament of the constituency.
Mr Sharif, 46, was granted a Special Pass to remain in Singapore while the police investigated the alleged harassment by loan sharks.
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The authorities said on Tuesday that they had conducted “extensive investigations” to identify the alleged person who had harassed Mr Sharif as well as his former and potential employers, but were unable to find this person.
The police have also not found any evidence that Mr Sharif had borrowed from unlicensed moneylenders.
The pass, initially set to expire on May 24, was extended to May 27 and then to May 31 to allow him additional time to make departure arrangements.
In a Facebook post on Thursday morning, Mr Sharif said that he had written a letter to Mr Wong regarding his situation and had turned up at his Meet-the-People Session in Limbang.
Two of Mr Sharif’s friends conveyed the letter to PM Wong, who Mr Sharif claimed would write a letter to ICA.
In their statement on Thursday night, ICA and MoM reiterated that Mr Sharif had been given ample time since the termination of his work permit on April 11 to seek employment under the Temporary Job Scheme even while the police investigations were ongoing.
MoM and the Migrant Workers’ Centre had also linked him up with employment agencies to support his job search and provided him with an email on May 13 confirming his eligibility to work.
“We understand that Mr Sharif had turned down job offers including working as a packer and a hotel cleaner,” said MoM and ICA.
“As police investigations into the case have concluded, and Mr Sharif has not found new employment, he has to leave Singapore. Should Mr Sharif wish to return to Singapore for work in the future, he will have to apply afresh for a work permit based on the prevailing criteria.”
What Sharif and workers’ group have to say
Speaking to TODAY late Thursday night through a phone interview after the ICA and MoM statement was issued, Mr Sharif said ICA had called him minutes earlier to inform him of the decision.
Slightly choked up, he said the decision was “unjust”.
“I am a victim, and investigations have shown that I have done nothing wrong. Yet I am not given a fair chance to get my old job back or find a new one and continue my life in Singapore,” he said.
On whether he would try to return to Singapore for future job opportunities, he said he was still undecided. “I’m still in a lot of pain… I am being kicked out. It feels like a punishment for a crime I did not commit.”
When TODAY met Mr Sharif at Changi Airport later on Friday morning before his flight, he was smiling and making small talk with a group of friends who had come to bid him farewell.
But as the small group approached the entrance to the departure hall, his expression began to change.
“Don’t stop writing,” one migrant worker friend said while embracing him, to which Mr Sharif nodded and began tearing up.
Ms Kokila Annamalai, a spokesperson for workers’ rights group Workers Make Possible told TODAY that migrant workers have the right to choose a job that is suitable to their skills, experience and other considerations, as any other worker does.
“(Mr) Sharif found many such jobs on his own in the last 1.5 months, but because of the harassment and because he was not given any written permission from the authorities to work until May 13, just 10 days before he was told to return to Bangladesh, employers and agents repeatedly turned him down,” she said.
“The jobs he turned down required him to work for long hours in a cold room, doing work that, given his age and health conditions, would not have been suitable for him.” Ms Kokila hoped that if Mr Sharif attempted to return, he would not face any sanctions for having chosen to speak up about his situation and the plight of migrant workers in Singapore.
What happened
Mr Sharif, who has lived in Singapore for 16 years, is known for his efforts to raise awareness about the challenges faced by migrant workers, particularly through his work as a writer.
He gained recognition for his book Stranger to Myself: Diary of a Bangladeshi in Singapore, a poignant account of his experiences and challenges as a migrant worker.
In March, Mr Sharif was terminated by his employer, Hiap Seng Piling Construction, amidst alleged harassment by “loan sharks,” despite his denial of any borrowing.
This incident prompted his former company to raise the issue with authorities.
While Mr Sharif denied ever taking any loan, the company terminated his employment and said in the termination letter that it was done “under police and MoM officer advice”.
The police and MoM clarified at the time that this was not the case, in response to TODAY’s queries last month. The authorities also said then that they had reached out to Mr Sharif “to address his concerns and offer our assistance”. — TODAY