Migrant workers who gave kickbacks to renew work passes were conservancy workers at AMK Town Council
SINGAPORE — Eighteen migrant workers who paid kickbacks of $900 to $7,000 as a condition for renewing their work passes in December 2020 were working for Ang Mo Kio Town Council.Loo Kim Huat, 68, the director and group head of conservancy at WIS Holdings, which manages Weishen Industrial Services, was on July 24 fined $90,000 and ordered to pay a penalty of $42,000 by a district court for his role in the scheme, which resulted in the collection of $112,400 in kickbacks from the workers.A spokesperson for the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) told The Straits Times on July 29 that the 18 workers involved in the case were conservancy workers for Ang Mo Kio Town Council.In response to queries, a spokesperson for Ang Mo Kio Town Council said it was not aware of the employment arrangement involving the workers in 2020 until MOM issued a public statement on the case after Loo's sentencing.Weishen Industrial Services is a term contractor engaged in one of the town council's seven divisions, the spokesperson added.