SVP-holders not allowed to work
23 April 2008
TODAY (Singapore)
(c) 2008. MediaCorp Press Ltd.

Letter from Toh Boon NgeeAssistant Director (Media Relations) (covering) Singapore Police ForceOng-Kong Yong SinSenior Public & Internal Communications Executive for Commissioner Immigration & Checkpoints Authority


WE REFER to Christina P Ondevilla's letter, "My life with the 'social visit girls'" (April 7).

Police have contacted Ms Ondevilla to inform her of the actions taken by our officers regarding the "pushing incident" between a woman and a man who was then Ms Ondevilla's roommate.
The woman had called the police, claiming that she was assaulted by the man, who counter-claimed that he only brushed her aside in self-defence.

While the police were at the scene investigating, Ms Ondevilla queried on whether social visit pass-holders were allowed to work in Singapore. Police have since clarified with Ms Ondevilla that it is the duty of the employer to verify whether a prospective foreign employee is eligible to work.

The Immigration & Checkpoints Authority (ICA) would like to clarify that when Ms Ondevilla's flatmate called the ICA to inform that there were foreigners holding Social Visit Passes (SVPs) working at KTVs, the officer had asked for the location of the KTVs. The caller had then indicated that he would check and alert ICA accordingly.

The ICA would also like to highlight that SVPs regulate the stay of foreigners in Singapore. These are generally granted to foreigners visiting Singapore for the purpose of social visit or to attend short business negotiations and discussions.

All SVP-holders are not allowed to engage in any form of paid employment or in any business in Singapore unless they have valid work passes issued by the Ministry of Manpower.

Foreigners found to have engaged in work or business without the required permission would be investigated and dealt with under the relevant laws.

My life with the 'social visit girls'
Christina P Ondevilla
7 April 2008
TODAY (Singapore)
(c) 2008. MediaCorp Press Ltd.

Because of sky-high rents, I rent a room in an old, six-bedroom walk-up apartment that has nine other tenants. The building is slated to be torn down by the end of the year.

The apartment originally had four bedrooms, but part of the living room has been partitioned off to become another bedroom. The storeroom has also been converted into a tiny bedroom. I knew there would be a lack of privacy, but nothing prepared me for living with what my landlady calls "China KTV girls", who sleep all day and go out at night to work in KTV clubs.

Often, they come home drunk with their customers/boyfriends and make a lot of noise in the flat. The apartment sometimes look like a KTV lounge - all that is missing is a mamasan and a cashier.
Once, at 4am, a screaming naked girl ran out of the room next door wrapped only in a quilt. She and her boyfriend were arguing loudly, and they woke up the neighbourhood but no one took any action because the apartment block is about 90 per cent occupied by KTV girls. They do not speak English, I learnt (through a friend) that these girls are here in Singapore on social visit passes.

One weekday morning, I was in the bathroom when a drunk man - whom I believe to be a customer of one of the girls - came into my bedroom, took off his clothes, wrapped one of my towels around himself and then knocked on the bathroom door. When I opened the door, I was shocked to find a half-naked stranger standing there.

Once, five women - apparently drunk - were screaming at each other outside my apartment late at night. One of the other tenants in my flat called the police, but was told that noise pollution is not a crime.

When my flatmate said that the women could have been working here while on social visit passes, he was told to call the relevant authority.

When he called the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority (ICA) hotline the next day, he was told that if he trailed the women to find out their place of work, then maybe the ICA could investigate.

Another time, there was a "pushing" incident in the flat involving some of the women and one of the other tenants. The police were called in but said it was a domestic issue. I took the opportunity to ask one of the policemen if it was legal for these women to be here on social visit passes but "party" all night as their job. I also wanted to know why they were able to rent an apartment with other people who are working here legally. He responded that the landlady was responsible for ensuring that her tenants are not working illegally in Singapore.

The landlady, in turn, said it cannot be proven that these girls are "working".

So, the KTV girls' defence, in the wise words of Bart Simpson, would be: "I didn't do it, you didn't see me do it, you can't prove anything."