Committee of Supply 2021 debate, Day 3: Louis Ng on migrant workers’ agent fees

Migrant workers pay hefty sums in agent fees, meaning they are already deep in debt even before arriving in Singapore. Those fees, though paid overseas, affect how effective Singapore’s labour laws are, said MP Louis Ng, as they create a power imbalance where workers are less likely to speak out against errant employers. He asked if the Ministry of Manpower could look into establishing direct recruitment channels through its licensed overseas testing centres to cut out the middlemen and raise penalties for agents found to be collecting kickbacks. Mr Ng spoke in Parliament on Tuesday (Mar 2).