SINGAPORE: The Work Permit (Performing Artiste) scheme has been around for the last 17 years, but recent enforcement operations have uncovered widespread abuse by syndicates.
Here is a timeline, what to know about it, and how it has been misused.
2008: The scheme was introduced to allow licensed public entertainment outlets such as bars, hotels and nightclubs to hire foreign performing artistes of any nationality on a short-term basis of up to six months.
Issued by the Ministry of Manpower (MOM), the permit was non-renewable and was one of two passes rolled out to replace the former Professional Visit Pass issued by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority to foreigners working in Singapore on short-term assignments.
The other pass is the Miscellaneous Work Pass, for eligible foreigners on short-term work assignments, such as speakers at a seminar, religious workers or journalists.
March 2023: In response to a parliamentary question from then MP Louis Ng, Manpower Minister Tan See Leng said in a written answer that MOM had put in place education and enforcement measures to safeguard the employment standards of all work permit holders, including performing artistes on work permits.
Ng also asked if MOM would consider requiring the holder of a work permit for performing artistes to attend a settling-in programme, similar to those currently conducted for migrant domestic workers and work permit holders from certain sectors.
Dr Tan replied that non-Malaysian work permit holders in the construction, manufacturing, marine shipyard and process sectors, as well as migrant domestic workers, attend the settling-in-programme. MOM will review this from time to time, but had no plans currently to extend it.
In addition, Ng asked Home Affairs Minister K. Shanmugam how many criminal cases with reference to holders of work permits for performing artiste were reported, prosecuted and convicted in the last three years, as well as what the top three offences were.
Shanmugam replied in a written answer that the police do not track data on offences specifically by holders of work permits for performing artistes.
September 2024: Thirty-two people were arrested for their suspected involvement in illegal employment, after an islandwide enforcement operation by MOM and the Singapore Police Force (SPF) at 27 locations. They included a man, 33, suspected to be part of a syndicate that operated 28 shell public entertainment outlets that had allegedly hired work permit holders as performing artistes when these companies were non-operational.
