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Relevant information provided to agency for verification

Foreign manpower Work passes and permits
  • The Straits Times (06 July 2020): "Relevant information provided to agency for verification" says MOM
  • The Straits Times (22 June 2020): "Agency shouldn't have access to employer's personal data"
  • The Straits Times (18 June 2020): "Employer's personal information needed to process maid's work permit application" says MOM
  • The Straits Times (12 June 2020): "Surprised by maid agency’s access to personal data"

Relevant information provided to agency for verification - The Straits Times, 06 July 2020

  1. We thank Ms Ong Soh Ching for her views (Agency shouldn’t have access to employer’s personal data, June 22).
  2. Ms Ong had suggested that since the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) is able to assess if an employer meets the criteria to employ a foreign domestic worker (FDW), her employment agency (EA) need not be shown the data of her family members.
  3. All relevant information to process an application needs to be populated in the application form. This would allow the e EA to verify with the employer, that the information is accurate and up-to-date before it is submitted to MOM. The information would include details of the employer’s household and family members, as it is relevant to determine if the household qualifies for FDW levy concession.
  4. Employers who prefer their EA not to have such information, could use the work pass system which enables them to self-transact. More than 23,000 FDW work permits were applied directly by employers last year.

Phua Boon Leng
Director, Customer System and Experience
Ministry of Manpower

Agency shouldn't have access to employer's personal data - The Straits Times, 22 June 2020

  1. From the Ministry of Manpower's (MOM) reply to my letter (Employer's personal information needed to process maid's work permit application, June 18, it is apparent that MOM has the information needed to assess if a potential employer of a foreign domestic worker meets the criteria.
  2. However, if an employer opts to go through an employment agency for the work permit application, the agency should not need to have the same level of access to the employer's personal data. The ministry can simply indicate that the potential employer has met the criteria. In this instance, I disclosed my identity card number for the purpose of processing the work permit. I did not consent to the disclosure of my children's date of birth and birth certificate numbers to the agency.
  3. What has become of data privacy?

Ong Soh Ching

Employer's personal information needed to process work pass application - The Straits Times, 18 June 2020

  1. We refer to the letter by Ms Ong Soh Ching (Surprised by maid agency’s access to personal data, June 12).
  2. As part of the work permit application process for foreign domestic workers (FDWs), employers must provide personal information to the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) for the ministry to determine if the applicant meets the criteria. Potential employers can submit the information themselves or go through an employment agency (EA).
  3. Once a record of a potential FDW employer is created in MOM’s system, the information in the fields will be automatically filled in for the convenience of the employer to complete the application process. The form can be accessed by the potential employer or an EA who has been authorised by the employer to do so.
    An EA must declare that he/she has obtained written consent from the employer before accessing the personal particulars of the employer.

    Phua Boon Leng
    Director, Customer System and Experience
    Ministry of Manpower

Surprised by maid agency’s access to personal data - The Straits Times, 12 June 2020 

  1. While trying to hire a new foreign domestic worker recently, I was shocked to discover the amount of personal data that employment agencies have access to.
  2. The employment agency I used asked for my identity card number in order to process the paperwork required to hire the candidate.
  3. Although apprehensive, I shared just my IC number with the agency.
  4. To my surprise, in less than 15 minutes, I was sent a screenshot of my personal details, which included home and e-mail addresses, as well as the birth certificate numbers and dates of birth of my children.
  5. I am not sure who the agency's source of information is. I also question the need to provide the agency with such detailed personal information.

    Ong Soh Ching