By Vincent D’Silva

JOHOR BARU: Malaysians who are currently working in Singapore should know their rights and the laws to protect themselves in the event of an accident in the island republic.

Accidents involving Malaysian vehicles are occurring daily and sometimes at the causeway or at the Tuas checkpoint.

Speaking during the official opening of the Singapore Accident Help Centre (SAHC) office in Johor Baru, its chief operating officer, Janey Wong Siew Fan said they have observed that many Malaysian workers had been subjected to exploitative behaviour after an accident, whether intentionally or otherwise, mainly due to the lack of understanding of their rights as foreign workers in Singapore.

Wong said, “By educating Malaysian workers on their rights when they have been involved in an accident, Malaysian workers would be able to understand and make use of the protections provided to them under Singapore Legislation.”

She said their mission is to educate Malaysian workers on their rights and protect the interest of Malaysian workers should they get involved in an accident while they work across the causeway.

As of 2019, there are 952,261 Malaysians or Singaporeans of partial or full Malaysian origin residing in Singapore. In addition to the permanent population in the country, about 350,000 Malaysians cross the Johor-Singapore Causeway daily to commute to work or school. The community includes white-collar workers, blue-collar workers and students studying in the city-state.

The SAHC is a non-profit organisation registered in Malaysia, dedicated to promoting the welfare of Malaysians and educating them on their legal rights in the event they encounter an accident on the road or while at work.

Tebrau Member of Parliament Jimmy Puah was present.

SAHC services include providing online resources and materials aimed at educating their rights under Singapore Law and how best to respond to specific emergencies and accidents.

According to Wong, SAHC is currently working with hospitals and insurance firms in Johor to explore options for making deferred payments and /or subsidised cost of treatments to its members.

She said, “SAHC will freely address enquiries relating to accident or work injury claims and will put accident victims in touch with professionals in Singapore for direct and immediate assistance.”

She stressed that `if a local worker is involved in an accident in Singapore involving his or her own vehicle, the first thing they need to do is call an ambulance through the 995 line to seek treatment.

She pointed out that many accident victims, involving Malaysians in the republic, ignore the matter because they feel the issue is trivial and are worried about the high cost of treatment they have to bear in Singapore hospitals.

She added that as holders of work permit holder and S-Pass holder, their employers are obliged to pay for their medical expenses in full regardless of whether the accident is work-related or not.

“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,” she remarked.

She called on local workers not to be misled and not to worry about their vehicles as it will be towed under the supervision of the authorities and it is free of charge.

Malaysians who require assistance can contact 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 further information.

Pix 1 – Member of parliament for Tebrau Jimmy Puah (second left) and Janey Wong (left) during the official opening of the SAHC in Johor Baru.