Following last month's scandal involving a government employee turned naturalized citizen with an MBA from an online university said to be a diploma mill, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say reiterated that foreigners applying for jobs in Singapore who submit fake credentials will be 'dealt with firmly'.
An existing law modified in 2012 has made this a standalone offence. Offenders could end up in jail for up to two years or fined up to SGD20,000. They're also banned from working in Singapore for life. That same year, the Ministry of Manpower prosecuted 43 foreigners; 28 foreigners were convicted of similar offences in the first half of 2013, according to The Straits Times.
Responding to a query yesterday from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Gerald Giam on how MOM keeps tab, Lim said his agency "conducts internal database checks, external checks through third-party screening agencies and direct verifications with issuing institutions to detect forged qualifications", reports Channel NewsAsia.
He added that the Ministry will not accept educational certificates from institutions that are considered diploma mills, and that employers need to present proof that they have verified authenticity of documents submitted by the foreigners they want to hire.
Workers' Party MP Png Eng Huat asked a similar question about the process followed by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, to which Second Minister for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli explained that the permanent residency or citizenship of foreigners found to have submitted fake documents will be revoked.
Both Masagos and Lim say that academic qualifications are not the only determining factors in awarding PR status, citizenship or work visas. Factors such as economic contributions, age and family profile are also considered, according to a Straits Times report.
Photo: gadgetdude via Flickr
Following last month's scandal involving a government employee turned naturalized citizen with an MBA from an online university said to be a diploma mill, Manpower Minister Lim Swee Say reiterated that foreigners applying for jobs in Singapore who submit fake credentials will be 'dealt with firmly'.
An existing law modified in 2012 has made this a standalone offence. Offenders could end up in jail for up to two years or fined up to SGD20,000. They're also banned from working in Singapore for life. That same year, the Ministry of Manpower prosecuted 43 foreigners; 28 foreigners were convicted of similar offences in the first half of 2013, according to The Straits Times.
Responding to a query yesterday from Non-Constituency Member of Parliament Gerald Giam on how MOM keeps tab, Lim said his agency "conducts internal database checks, external checks through third-party screening agencies and direct verifications with issuing institutions to detect forged qualifications", reports Channel NewsAsia.
He added that the Ministry will not accept educational certificates from institutions that are considered diploma mills, and that employers need to present proof that they have verified authenticity of documents submitted by the foreigners they want to hire.
Workers' Party MP Png Eng Huat asked a similar question about the process followed by the Immigration and Checkpoints Authority, to which Second Minister for Home Affairs and Foreign Affairs Masagos Zulkifli explained that the permanent residency or citizenship of foreigners found to have submitted fake documents will be revoked.
Both Masagos and Lim say that academic qualifications are not the only determining factors in awarding PR status, citizenship or work visas. Factors such as economic contributions, age and family profile are also considered, according to a Straits Times report.
Photo: gadgetdude via Flickr