A 45-year-old Singaporean man who falsely hired his girlfriend as his domestic helper to help her remain in Singapore has been sentenced to three weeks in jail.
Faizal Farid, an operations technician, pleaded guilty to one count of making a false declaration to the controller of work passes under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act.
A second charge—allowing his girlfriend to work part-time as a babysitter, which amounted to aiding a foreigner to be self-employed without a valid work permit—was taken into consideration for sentencing.
The court heard that Faizal began a relationship with Filipina national Sotto Jennie Villaron, 37, in 2021 while she was employed in Singapore as a domestic helper.
In early February 2024, Jennie informed Faizal that her employer intended to terminate her services and asked if she could transfer her employment to his name in order to remain in Singapore.
Faizal agreed and, on February 28, 2024, submitted an application declaring that he intended to employ Jennie as a domestic helper.
A work permit was subsequently issued on March 9, 2024.
Despite this, Faizal had no real intention of employing her. From March to July 2024, Jennie lived with him for four to five nights a week “as his girlfriend,” without performing any domestic work. Instead, she worked as a part-time babysitter for another family and stayed there two to three nights weekly.
According to Channel News Asia, prosecutors said Faizal was aware of her arrangement and consented to it, enabling Jennie to continue working without a valid permit.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecutor requested a four-week jail term, citing the seriousness of the false declaration. Defence counsel Mr Anil Singh Sandhu and Mr Nurhan Sufi, however, sought a two-week sentence, stressing Faizal’s role as the sole caregiver to his son and his limited financial means.
Mr Anil told the court that Faizal had been divorced since 2008 and met Jennie during the COVID-19 period. He added that Jennie had proposed the idea of a sham employment, and Faizal initially rejected it before eventually giving in after her repeated requests.
Although Jennie occasionally performed household chores at his home, the defence clarified these were done “in her capacity as his girlfriend,” not as a maid. Faizal paid Jennie S$700 per month, in addition to covering the foreign domestic worker levy until the permit was cancelled.
The lawyer argued that Faizal’s actions stemmed from “a misguided desire to help someone he loved,” rather than greed or intent to exploit.
Jennie was earlier sentenced to three weeks’ jail on September 1, 2024, for her part in the deception. The court noted that she was the primary instigator and had financially benefited from her babysitting job, whereas Faizal did not gain from the arrangement.
The presiding judge remarked that Faizal’s sentence should be at least equivalent to Jennie’s, and thus imposed three weeks’ imprisonment.
Under the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act, making a false statement to the controller of work passes carries a maximum penalty of two years’ imprisonment, a S$20,000 fine, or both.
Faizal’s defence counsel noted that the case has had a profound emotional toll, as Jennie will not be allowed to re-enter Singapore after her sentence, effectively ending their relationship, which they had planned to formalise.
GIRLFRIEND’S ROLE
The 37-year-old Filipina domestic worker persuaded her Singaporean boyfriend to list her as his helper so she could legally remain in the country after learning that her employer was about to end her contract.
Authorities later received information suggesting possible breaches of the Employment of Foreign Manpower Act (EFMA) and began investigating her. The woman, Sotto Jennie Villaron, was eventually sentenced on September 1 to three weeks in jail after admitting that she had conspired with her boyfriend, Faizal Farid, to submit a false declaration in a domestic worker application.
Another charge was considered during sentencing.
Court documents showed that Villaron had been employed as a migrant domestic worker in Singapore when she started a relationship with Faizal around 2021. In early February 2024, she told him that her employer planned to terminate her contract.
According to a Ministry of Manpower (MOM) prosecutor, Villaron asked Faizal to help her apply for a new work pass under his name so that she could continue staying in Singapore.
Faizal eventually agreed, and even though Villaron never intended to perform household duties for him, she signed the paperwork for a domestic worker application in March 2024.
Image via google
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