JOHOR BARU, Nov 30 —Singapore Accident Help Centre (SAHC) today stressed that Malaysians working in Singapore must know their rights and the laws in the island republic that protect foreign workers in the event of an accident.
The social assistance organisation’s legal adviser Hoh Chin Cha said many Malaysian workers in Singapore are clueless about the correct procedures in the event that an accident occurs.
“As a result, they end up failing to do the right thing to the point of affecting their claims or the compensation they rightfully should have received.”
Hoh during a press conference at the SAHC office in Taman Sri Tebrau here explained the rights and privileges covering more than 300,000-odd Malaysians working in Singapore.
Hoh said if a local worker is involved in an accident in the republic involving his own vehicle, the first thing they need to do is call an ambulance through the 995 line to seek treatment.
He explained that many accident victims, involving Malaysians in the republic, ignore the matter because they feel the matter is trivial and are worried about the high cost of treatment they have to bear in Singapore hospitals.
“For holders of employment passes and S-Pass holders, their employers are obliged to pay for their medical expenses in full regardless of whether the accident is work-related or not,” he said.
Hoh said there are cases of employers who are neglectful and claim that they are not bound to fund medical expenses because the accident occurred outside work.
“Local workers should not be fooled. Do not worry about your motorcycle or vehicle, it will be towed and stored under the supervision of the authorities and it is free of charge.
“Therefore, there is no need to use tow truck services. In relation to hit-and-run cases where the guilty party fails to be detected, there is actually a mechanism to obtain compensation,” he said.
Hoh said since the beginning of the Covid-19 endemic phase, SAHC which is a non-governmental organisation (NGO), is back to actively assisting Malaysians who are involved in accidents in Singapore.
He said SAHC will provide free towing services to its members from the traffic police premises to surrounding locations in Singapore, as well as locations in Johor Baru.
Hoh said SAHC also distributes contributions to accident victims depending on their condition and needs.
“Recently SAHC distributed financial assistance to an accident victim known to us as Azmi.
“We understand that he was asked to sign a document as an agreement to receive a total compensation of SG$1,300 (RM4,248) from his employer as a result of being involved in an accident at work several years ago.
“However, Azmi did not know that the document was drafted as a settlement agreement and he should rightly have received a claim of RM300,000. We are currently making efforts to represent Azmi who suffered a serious head injury to the point of being declared a disabled person.
“In an effort to ease Azmi’s burden, SAHC through donations collected, channelled a contribution of RM10,000 to him,” said Hoh.
Malaysians who require assistance can contact the SAHC through its Facebook page or call 07-330 9193. Alternatively, they can also visit its office at 107, Jalan Perisai, Taman Sri Tebrau in Johor Baru for more information.