Mr H is a construction worker from Tangail, Bangladesh, who has been unemployed with no income since January 2020. Prior to January, he has also been denied remuneration for his work by his unwilling ex-employer up to today. As a result, he has been facing immense levels of stress trying to make ends meet both for himself and his family back home in Bangladesh. He has 2 elder parents, a wife, and a young son back home. He is the sole breadwinner of the family.

Mr H came to Singapore for work in October 2017. His first employment stint ended after 5 months due to a salary dispute. He was not fully paid for his 5 months of work and was owed a total of $12,000. As a result, he was placed on Special Pass while awaiting the result of this dispute. His case eventually went to court for the court to order his first employer to pay him a meagre $559 after a full year of living on special pass without employment.

Mr H managed to find a second employer to be transferred to after his first salary dispute concluded. At the end of July 2019, he started to work for his most recent employer, hoping that things would change for the better after getting so little from spending close to 2 years in Singapore. After 5 months in this new job, his Work Permit was terminated on 8 January 2020, and he was once again an unemployed Special Pass holder. Similarly, he did not receive his full wages for those 5 months. With the agent fees factored in, he is owed $6,700 by his ex-employers. He is still in the midst of pursuing his salary claims and has been living on the assistance of the NGOs and money lent from friends to pay for his living expenses for the past 6 months. He currently has an outstanding debt of $3,200 borrowed from his friends in Bangladesh.

His main concern is his family back home of which he is the sole breadwinner. He is particularly worried about his father who has been unwell due to an infection in the abdomen. The doctor who saw his father recommended surgery which costs $1,000. Unable to afford that, the condition is being managed symptomatically managed with medication.

Ray of Hope would like to raise $2,800 for Mr H and his family. $1,800 ($600 x 3 months) for their living expenses. $1,000 will be for Mr H’s father’s upcoming surgery to help with the infection.

Mr H hopes that he is able to resolve the current dispute as soon as possible so that he can move on to another job. However, the ongoing pandemic has prevented this and his case is ostensibly at a standstill.