15 foreign workers found living in illegal residence-turned-dorm in Serangoon, S'porean fined $600,000
A 72-year-old Singaporean man was convicted of three counts of converting private residential properties to unauthorised dormitory accommodation, said the Urban Redevelopment Authority (URA) in a statement on June 14.
Tan Hock Keng was fined on May 30 a total of $600,000 with the maximum fine of $200,000 imposed for each of the three charges.
Eight additional charges, relating to similar offences at other private residential properties, were taken into consideration.
Enforcement officers from the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) had inspected private residential properties linked to Tan and found that the number of occupants residing at the properties had significantly exceeded URA's occupancy cap rules.
URA regulations stipulate that private residential properties can only house up to six unrelated persons.
Following up from inspections by MOM enforcement officers on Dec 15, 2017 and March 13, 2018, URA found that 15 foreign workers had resided at 1012B Upper Serangoon Road.
Another 16 and 17 foreign workers were found residing in 32H Lorong 22 and 32J Lorong 22 Geylang respectively.
Investigations revealed that Tan had been providing dormitory accommodation at these premises for around two years.
He had also converted eight other private residential properties to dormitory accommodation between 2016 to 2018, where each unit was found with more than six unrelated occupants at each time, ranging from seven to 23.
During investigations, Tan admitted that he was aware of the regulations but decided to proceed with the unauthorised conversion of the premises to dormitory accommodation anyway.
Tan was charged in court in November 2021.
URA Development Control Group director Martin Tan said: "Unauthorised dormitory accommodation not only adversely affects the residential character of the neighbourhood, but also negatively impacts the occupants, who may be from more vulnerable groups that are susceptible to exploitation."
