A 46-year-old Bangladeshi worker was fired after his employer was harassed by loan sharks for the worker’s alleged loans.
He related his experience on Tiktok, through Tiktok account @workersmakepossible, four days ago:
@workersmakepossible On 11 March 2024, Uddin MD Sharif was informed by his employer that he had just one month left before he’d be deported back to Bangladesh, losing everything he has spent the past 16 years working for. Sharif, or Sharif bhai, as he’s fondly known to friends and comrades, is a poet, author, community leader and workers’ rights activist. He has been a voice of conscience that has awakened many migrants and Singaporeans alike to the injustices and indignities that low-wage migrant workers in Singapore experience. Sharif is now at imminent risk of being deported from Singapore under deeply unjust circumstances. Watch this video to learn why, in Sharif’s own words. Read, sign and share the petition calling for Sharif to be allowed to stay and work in Singapore, and to have the harassment he’s been experiencing put to a stop. And join us at Stand with Sharif, a public event jointly organised by Workers Make Possible and Students for Migrant Rights on 6th April, from 8-9.30pm at Palms Bistro (Anson Road) to celebrate Sharif bhai’s 16 years in Singapore and draw attention to his situation. Students will read passages from his books, his friends will share fond memories and their messages of love and solidarity, and together, we will reflect on the broader context of migrant workers’ precarious conditions in Singapore. #fyp #singapore #workers #workersrights #StandWithSharif #SharifStays ♬ original sound – Workers Make Possible
Mr Md Sharif Uddin, who won an award for a book he wrote about life here as a migrant worker, has worked in Singapore for 16 years.
Mr Sharif said the issue started when an unknown individual sent a note to his employer claiming that he had borrowed money, along with a copy of his work permit and joss paper money.
Mr Sharif has denied ever borrowing money.
On 9 March, the daughter of Mr Sharif’s employer had sought advice from the Geylang Neighbourhood Police Centre after receiving debtor’s notes and hell notes addressed to the worker at her residential address by mail.
A representative of Mr Sharif’s employer contacted the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) on 11 March.
The representative inquired about the cancellation of a worker’s permit over alleged involvement in unlicensed moneylending activities, which result in the employer facing harassment by unlicensed moneylenders.
On the same day, the employer served Mr Sharif a notice that his employment would be terminated.
Mr Sharif said the termination letter stated that his company was advised by MOM and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) to send him back to Bangladesh. The worker said he was given one month’s notice with his last day stated as 12 April.
The letter added that Mr Sharif was free to search for another employer, but if he failed to do so, the company would arrange for his repatriation.
AKA he would be deported from Singapore and sent back to Bangladesh.
Mr Sharif shared that despite managing to find a new employer, he was not hired in the end as the new company also received similar harassment. Mr Sharif noted that no one else was privy to information regarding his new employment, and was thus concerned that information had been “leaked”.
Also on 11 March, Mr Sharif lodged a police report and said he was a victim of harassment.
The police then informed the daughter of Mr Sharif’s employer of this, and said it was possible that Mr Sharif did not borrow from unlicensed moneylenders.
In the video, Mr Sharif said he had lost his job after he told his employer to alert the police about illegal moneylenders who were harassing him over an alleged unpaid loan. He claimed that his employment had been terminated by his employers on the advice of the authorities.
Over 850 people have rallied together to support his case, and have signed an online petition to let the father of two remain in Singapore.
Mr Sharif has a teenage son and a 6-month old baby, and is the sole breadwinner for his extended family.
MOM and SPF’s Clarification
Following the video, MOM has refuted claims that the ministry and the police had advised Mr Sharif’s employer to deport him from Singapore.
In a statement posted on Facebook on 6 April, MOM clarified some facts about Mr Sharif’s case.
MOM said that regarding the daughter of Mr Sharif’s employer, the on-duty officer had told her that the police would step up patrols around her home and alert her condominium’s security.
The officer, out of concern for her family’s and her well-being, also advised her generally that harassment would usually stop after the work pass of a foreign worker being harassed had been cancelled, and the worker no longer worked for the employer.
MOM also clarified that the representative of Mr Sharif’s employer who had contacted MOM on 11 March did not make any reference to Mr Sharif during the call or elaborate on the details of the case.
MOM said that they did not advise the employer to terminate Mr Sharif’s employment. MOM simply informed the employer that should the company decide to terminate a work permit, it must notify the worker, settle outstanding salaries and bear the cost of repatriation.
MOM clarified that the termination of Mr Sharif’s employment was a decision by his employer, and added that police investigations are ongoing.
The ministry also mentioned that MOM and SPF have reached out to Mr Sharif to address his concerns and assist him, and that he is allowed to remain in Singapore on a Special Pass to assist with investigations.
A Special Pass (SP) card, which legalises a foreigner’s stay in Singapore, is issued for a specific purpose such as assisting in investigation, attending court and for stateless persons residing in Singapore.
MOM and Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) are the only issuing authorities for such SP cards.
Once police investigations conclude, Mr Sharif will be able to find a new company, which allows him to continue to live and work in Singapore.
Mr Sharif’s Book – Stranger To Myself
In 2017, Mr Sharif published a book titled Stranger To Myself.
Mr Sharif shares his experiences and observations in this diary, taking readers on a “harsh, profoundly emotional journey, a passage of real life that runs concurrent to that of citizens to show us within this alleged city of dreams what our eyes fail to see.”
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