Zoo staff problem a "one-off incident"

IT WAS a one-off incident, says the cleaning company whose supervisor was filmed beating up a worker outside the Singapore Zoo.

And it had nothing to do with the death of its employee, Mr Nordin Montong, the Malaysian cleaner killed by white tigers at the zoo last month.

Mr Jason Law, operations director at Sun City Maintenance, said: 'The beating incident and Nordin's death are completely unrelated.'

The company came forward to 'clear the air' over the handphone video, which had been taken about six months ago.

Mr Law, 44, told The New Paper that the beating, involving a supervisor called Alan, was a 'one-off incident' after a misunderstanding between Alan and a foreign worker named Phang Siau Nian.

Sun City was not able to give us the contact details of Alan, a Singaporean in his 30s, and Mr Phang, a Malaysian in his early 20s, as they had left the company.

Started with a look

Mr Stanley Kuta Teo Ukau, 20, a Sun City cleaner who witnessed the beating, said Alan got upset because he felt Mr Phang had given him a defiant look during his briefing after work at about 6pm.

Speaking in Malay, Mr Stanley, who is from Sarawak in Malaysia, said: 'We were waiting for transport. Phang didn't say anything, but he was showing a 'black face' (looking angry). Alan took it in a bad way.

'They were already not on good terms.

'For example, we're supposed to tuck in our uniforms, but Phang refused to do so despite being told off repeatedly by Alan. Phang can also be quite hot-tempered.'

He added that an ambulance and a police patrol car showed up and Mr Phang was examined for serious injury.

Sun City's operations director, Mr Law, who has been with the company for about 10 years, said there was no visible injury on Mr Phang. He did not know who had called the police.

No official report was lodged, so the police did not investigate further.

Mr Phang worked for Sun City for about four months before he went back to Sarawak in July.

According to Mr Stanley, Mr Phang said he had matters to see to.

Alan had worked for the company for two to three years.

Mr Law said Alan had been quite 'rash and impulsive', but his actions should not be taken to represent Sun City's treatment of its workers.

He said: 'I knew about the beating and that it had been recorded on the handphone of one of the workers. I also knew it was being circulated.

'We didn't do anything to suppress the incident in any way. Why should we? The company had not done anything wrong. Fights can break out for all sorts of reasons.'

Mr Law had advised Mr Phang that it was up to him to make a police report.

'I told him that if he wanted to make a report, no one would stop him,' he said.

Privately settled

Mr Phang eventually settled the matter privately with Alan and accepted compensation from him. Mr Law did not know the amount agreed upon.

He said: 'The company issued Alan a warning letter. He acknowledged it. The incident was noted in his record.'

Mr Stanley also said he was aware of the compensation, but not the amount.

He added: 'If the matter was not properly settled, the rest of us would have been unhappy. We would not have continued working for Sun City.'

'It is not right for a supervisor to beat up a worker.'

Mr Law said that a few months after the incident, Alan was asked to resign because of attitude problems.

'He would turn up late for work or not come at all. In addition to what had happened, we felt it was unacceptable,' he said.

Mr Law also stressed that Mr Phang had not resigned because of the beating or because he was ill-treated.

He said: 'Why would we ill-treat our workers? They are our assets. We are not irresponsible employers. If we were, why would I personally accompany Nordin's body back to Sarawak?
'Everybody advised me against it, because they were worried that I would be held responsible for his death and be attacked in his village.'

He claimed that there was a tense moment after the burial, when a relative holding a parang asked him, 'Insurance, how?'

Mr Law said: 'Luckily, Nordin's brother-in-law stepped in. He told me not to go anywhere by myself as it was not safe. Later, he drove me back to my hotel.'

He added: 'I believe I have a good relationship with my workers. I go to the work sites and ask if they are happy with their work, their accommodation.

'I have workers who stay with me for a few years. In an industry with a turnover rate of a few months, this is very rare.'

Mr Stanley, who has been with Sun City for eight months, said: 'The beating incident did make us very upset, but in other matters, the company treats us okay.'