KUALA LUMPUR - An increasing number of Myanmar migrant workers in Singapore are seeking help after facing unpaid wages, poor working conditions, and false job promises.

Some workers say they were forced into jobs different from what they were told, including illegal work after arriving in Singapore.

A local support group said complaints from Myanmar workers have risen in recent years, with cases involving salary disputes and misleading recruitment.

The group also reported serious claims that some workers were tricked into illegal activities such as providing improper services or unlicensed work.

One case involved a 28 year old woman who left Myanmar due to conflict and hoped to find stable employment in Singapore.

She said she was promised a job at a beauty salon but was instead sent to work at a massage shop.

She added that her training lasted only about an hour before she was required to serve customers.

She later said a client asked her to touch him inappropriately, which left her shocked and distressed.

Her experience was among several cases highlighted by the aid group, according to 8world News.

Two Myanmar men said they paid more than SGD4,000 each to agents who promised them jobs as kitchen assistants.

They later found out that their two-year contracts did not exist and that their work permits wrongly listed them as performers for a short-term stay.

The group’s general manager said Myanmar workers often feel trapped because they cannot afford to return home and fear losing their jobs.

Because of this pressure, many accept difficult or unfair conditions just to keep earning money.

The organisation said it handled only one case involving a Myanmar worker in 2022, but the number rose to more than 130 last year.

The report said stronger checks on recruitment agents and clearer information for workers could help prevent such problems.

For many Myanmar workers, their main goal is simply to earn enough to repay recruitment fees and support their families back home.