Honesty counts.(The Case of the Worker Who Lost an Eye)

From the article, it can be deduced that Wangsa is an honest man who heeds his grandfather's advice not to tell lies. It is understandable that he lied to the doctor at Changi Hospital for fear of being repatriated as he was threatened by his employer. It is indeed difficult for the Assistant Commissioner of Labour to believe Wangsa due to the different accounts he has presented. The court should investigate the matter thoroughly and make judgement.

There is sufficient evidence in the article that Wangsa's injury arose from a freak workplace accident, hence William and Ah Loke should not be punished for not ensuring a safe workplace, rather they should be fined for asking their employee, Wangsa to lie about the nature of his injury.

While it is reasonable that Wangsa should be compensated from losing his eye at the workplace, we must be reminded that he did not wear protective goggles to ensure personal safety. He should be compensated under the Workmen's Compensation Act together with some compensation from his employer. He should seek half of the total of his monthly pay for the remaining months of his contract taking into consideration that he is equally responsible for his own injury too.

Print Get the Mag Weekly Updates