Ex-director of Sakura Buffet faces charges for allegedly owing workers over $432k in wages
Sign up now: Get ST's newsletters delivered to your inbox
MOM and the Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management said that as at May 24, they have helped 112 former employees in their salary claims.
PHOTO: LIANHE ZAOBAO
Follow topic:
SINGAPORE - Embattled catering company Sakura Buffet, which had its licence cancelled over food safety concerns, is in the news again after its owner’s wife was charged over unpaid wages.
Sim Ling Zhen, who is listed as a director of 35 companies – the majority of which are in the food and beverage sector – faces 24 charges under the Employment Act for allegedly failing to pay 103 employees.
Ten of the companies were supplied meals by Sakura Buffet.
She allegedly owes these employees wages amounting to $432,870.63. Some of the salary claims date back to the end of 2022.
Sim was listed as a director of Sakura Buffet till Oct 22, 2023, with the other director being her husband, whom she married on July 25, 2016.
The 31-year-old, who was first charged in February 2023, will be back in court on June 6.
Sakura Buffet had its licence cancelled
During the checks, the SFA identified 10 tingkat firms that were supplied by Sakura Buffet – After Surgery Food Deliver/Catering, Angel Confinement Meals, Grain Luscious, Happy Mamapapa Catering, Healthy Meals Catering, Keto Meals Catering, Nonya Buffet, Pregnancy Meals Catering, Royal Cuisine Group and Vegetarian Buffet.
Charge sheets seen by The Straits Times show that the unpaid employees had worked for three companies, two of which were supplied by Sakura Buffet – Royal Cuisine Group and Healthy Meals Catering.
Business records show that the third company, called Yanxi, deals in the manufacturing of sauces.
The Ministry of Manpower (MOM) and Tripartite Alliance for Dispute Management (TADM) said that as at May 24, they have helped 112 former employees of these three companies in their salary claims.
“As the companies could not meet the outstanding salary claims filed by the individuals, TADM had assisted them to pursue their claims at the Employment Claims Tribunals (ECT) and advised them to enforce any ECT Orders through the State Courts,” they said in response to queries from ST.
TADM also helped 46 eligible workers obtain financial assistance through the Short-Term Relief Fund and Migrant Workers’ Assistance Fund between May and October 2023.
MOM and TADM added that the three firms had ceased their operations at the end of 2022 after they were unable to make salary payments to their employees.
An ST check on their Accounting and Corporate Regulatory Authority (Acra) records found that as at May 15, all three firms are still live companies.
Mr Melvin Yong, president of the Consumers Association of Singapore, said the consumer watchdog received 93 complaints linked to Sakura Buffet and its web-linked tingkat businesses between May 8 and May 21.
A check with the Insolvency Office’s records showed that Sim is an undischarged bankrupt. She received a bankruptcy order on Oct 18, 2023.
Under the Companies Act, an undischarged bankrupt is disqualified to act as a director, neither is he or she allowed to directly or indirectly manage a company, said an Acra spokesman.
Sim currently holds active directorships in 35 companies.
Such individuals should inform the companies where they hold directorships about their statuses, so that they can be removed, and a replacement can be found.
“The company must notify Acra of the removal or change of the director within 14 days of being notified of the fact,” the spokesperson added.
