SINGAPORE - When a Bangladeshi national was looking for work in Singapore, he reached out to his compatriot here for assistance.
He told Mr Abdul Karim, 32, a senior construction supervisor who has been working here since 2014, that an agent in Bangladesh had informed him an in-principle approval for his work permit had been obtained and had asked for a fee of $3,000.
Mr Abdul said the man, who is in his 20s, had reached out via Facebook and shared that he did not know how to check on his in-principle approval.
Mr Abdul then checked the Ministry of Manpower’s website, only to discover that the application had not even been made.
When the man asked the agent about this, the agent blocked his number.
Mr Abdul, better known as Sojib, runs a Facebook page to help fellow migrant workers navigate working in Singapore.
He was among five individuals who were lauded at the 11th Singapore Silent Heroes Awards organised by non-profit organisation Civilians Association (Singapore) on Sept 7.
The award celebrates ordinary individuals who have performed extraordinary acts of humanity and compassion without seeking recognition or reward.
Health Minister Ong Ye Kung was the guest of honour at the 2024 event, which was held at the Shangri-La Singapore hotel.
Five winners from different categories were picked from a pool of 24 finalists, drawn from 118 nominations.
One accolade was the Heart of Humanity, awarded to an individual with disabilities who has given back to society.
Another was the Pioneer of Promise award, given to someone born on or before Dec 31, 1950, who has contributed to the community and nation-building efforts.
Mr Abdul, who was given the Compassionate Foreigner award, told The Straits Times that he helps migrant workers because he had faced difficulties adjusting when he first arrived in Singapore, due to cultural differences and not knowing where to find information.
With Covid-19 affecting the migrant worker population extensively, he created a Facebook page during the circuit breaker, sharing translated versions of news about the pandemic.
He soon received 200 to 300 messages a day.
“Some people faced mental health problems, others had issues with their salary. Some of our brothers also faced food crisis because they were unable to go outside,” he said.
He would direct them to relevant resources, such as non-governmental organisations that could provide them assistance.
The Facebook page, which has 144,000 followers, now gets about 50 to 70 messages daily from Bangladeshi workers in Singapore or those looking to find employment here.
Mr Abdul gets questions ranging from how to renew passports, to how to apply for Singpass, to where to go to get dental care.
He replies with the information if he has it, or posts the questions on Facebook so that others can help.
He also shares information about scams – like a recent one where callers impersonated officials from the Bangladesh High Commission to collect personal information like bank details – as well as what migrant workers can do to advance in their careers, such as the kind of certification they can pursue.
Said Mr Abdul: “I faced problems when I first came to Singapore, and I don’t want my brothers to face the same problems. Sharing information with them does not cost me anything.”
