(Scroll to the bottom for Malay translation of the campaign / Tatal ke bawah untuk terjemahan bahasa Melayu kempen ini.)

The 7th year of #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers!

This year, we aim to raise at least $50,000 inshaAllah to:

1. Replenish Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2)’s Standing Medical Fund for injured/ill Muslim migrant workers needing medical treatment. This Fund was first set up in 2019 with #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers donations and has since been regularly replenished by our annual zakat fundraisers; and
2. Fund TWC2’s transport allowances to Muslim workers who are injured or have salary claims. These workers frequently cannot afford the public transport necessary to attend appointments at the hospital and/or the Ministry of Manpower and have long distances to travel because their dormitories are typically located in remote places such as Tuas.

All funds raised will go directly to TWC2, to distribute between the Standing Medical Fund and the Farego Initiative as they see fit, given the needs of Muslim workers who approach them for help.  

LaunchGood has 0% platform fees (you can make a voluntary tip to the platform if you wish). Credit card processing fees are 2.9% + 30 cents/transaction, and a transfer fee of $10 is imposed when LaunchGood transfers the funds to our account. Other than this, EVERY CENT you donate will go to workers in need. 

Replenishing TWC2’s Standing Medical Fund

The Standing Medical Fund was first set up in 2019 with #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers zakat and donations. It has since been regularly replenished by our fundraisers in 2019, 2021 and 2023. (In 2020 and 2022, we pivoted to raising funds for different urgent needs, based on the feedback from migrant workers, TWC2 and other organisers on the grounds. You can see all our previous years’ campaigns here.)

Your support since then has allowed more than 100 injured or ill workers to promptly access medical treatment, which they otherwise could not have done. Some cases include:

• AB, a Bangladeshi migrant worker diagnosed in 2022 with stage 3 colon cancer, requiring surgery and chemotherapy. The Standing Medical Fund allowed AB to receive these treatments, which amounted to more than $40,000. AB has now completed his treatment and is doing well. Furthermore, receiving treatment allowed him to keep his job in Singapore, thus continuing to earn critical income for his family.
• Rana, who sustained serious work injuries after falling off a high platform at work, and also developed kidney stones that kept him in great pain. The Standing Medical Fund enabled Rana to finally receive the treatment - estimated at $20,000 - that he previously could not receive.
• Motin, a migrant worker who required more than $40,000 to undergo the lifesaving treatment necessary when he was diagnosed with a brain tumour.

TWC2 continues to spend tens of thousands of dollars each year helping injured or seriously ill workers get the medical care they need. There are many reasons why workers may be stranded without medical care, despite Singapore law requiring employers to buy insurance for each worker:

• Employers are required to buy the minimum insurance coverage of $15,000 for non-work-related injuries or illnesses. Medical bills easily exceed this amount. The medical bills for Rana's kidney stones, Motin's brain tumour and Nobi Nur's broken wrists - cases we raised funds for in previous years - all exceeded $15,000.
• Migrant workers are considered private / unsubsidised patients in Singapore’s restructured public hospitals. Despite earning the lowest wages in the country, they pay the same rates as wealthy medical tourists. This means that even emergency medical services may already bring them over the $15,000 insurance limit. This high cost is often a source of contention between workers and their employers, as the employers are reluctant to draw on insurance or provide payment for medical care when they are at liberty to repatriate the worker instead.
• Even when insurance coverage is sufficient, some employers delay providing the necessary payment guarantees to hospitals for costly medical procedures, resulting in extended suffering for the worker and potential irreversible deterioration of their condition. TWC2 frequently provides the guarantees in such cases, if it has enough funds.
• Employers may refuse to pay for medical treatment even when it is required for workplace injuries. Although the Ministry of Manpower may prosecute such employers, this does not address the workers' inability to access medical care.

Even though some foreign workers may remain in Singapore for over 25 years to work, they are still not entitled to subsidised care granted to citizens or permanent residents. Yet, due to the nature of their work, migrant workers are more likely than Singaporeans to sustain workplace injuries. Additionally, they are at a higher risk of non-work-related illnesses due to their living and working conditions, lack of access to preventative health screening, care, and medication. 

Your continued support this Ramadan will allow TWC2 to provide medical care to as many migrant workers as possible. The more funds raised, the more workers TWC2 will be able to help.

Funding TWC2’s Farego Scheme for transport allowances

TWC2 runs an initiative - named “Farego” - that pays for injured workers or those with salary claims to receive a transport allowance, in order to attend hospital and/or Ministry of Manpower appointments. Post-Covid, with MOM strictly enforcing the rule for workers to be housed in dedicated dormitories, mostly located in remote areas, this need has become even more critical because of the distances they need to travel. Migrant workers who are injured or who have ongoing salary claims against their employers have typically lost their jobs or no longer have an income, leaving them struggling even to afford the public transport necessary to attend these important appointments. 

Each disbursement of Farego is usually $40 to $50. Last year, TWC2 spent around $38,000 providing Farego support to workers, and this was under tightened criteria which required TWC2 to turn away other workers who were in need. With more funds raised through #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers, inshaAllah, TWC2 hopes to be able to help more workers with this important need. 

FOR MUSLIM DONORS: WHY MIGRANT WORKERS AND THEIR FAMILIES DESERVE YOUR ZAKAT

Tahun ketujuh kempen #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers!

Tahun ini, kami menetapkan sasaran mengumpul $50,000, insya-Allah, untuk:

1. Menokok Tabung Perubatan Kecemasan (SMF) Transient Workers Count Too (TWC2) bagi kegunaan pekerja asing beragama Islam yang tercedera atau sakit dan memerlukan rawatan perubatan. Dana ini ditubuhkan pada tahun 2019 berasaskan sumbangan daripada #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers dan ditokok melalui kempen zakat tahunan;
    
2. Membiayai kos pengangkutan TWC2 buat pekerja Islam yang tercedera atau sedang menuntut gaji tertunggak. Pekerja sebegini lazimnya tidak mampu menaiki pengangkutan awam untuk menghadiri janji temu doktor atau bersama Kementerian Tenaga Manusia (MOM) disebabkan lokasi asrama yang terpencil seperti Tuas.

Kesemua dana yang terkumpul akan disalurkan langsung ke TWC2, yang kemudian akan membahagikannya antara SMF dengan Usaha Farego mengikut keperluan.

Wadah mengumpul dana daripada orang ramai, LaunchGood, tidak menetapkan sebarang yuran (pengguna boleh menghulurkan wang tambahan atau ‘tip’, kalau mahu), maka setiap dolar akan disalurkan kepada penerima. Namun, setiap sumbangan dikenakan yuran pemprosesan kad kredit 2.9%, di samping kos tambahan 30 sen dan $10 setiap kali LaunchGood mencarumkan wang kepada usaha ini.

Tokokan Tabung Perubatan Kecemasan (SMF) TWC2 

Tabung Perubatan Kecemasan (SMF) ditubuhkan pada tahun 2019 menggunakan wang derma dan zakat #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers. Dana ini ditokok melalui kempen zakat tahunan pada tahun-tahun 2019, 2021 dan 2023. (Pada tahun 2020 dan 2022, kami mengumpul dana buat keperluan mendesak lain bersandarkan maklum balas pekerja asing, TWC2 dan penganjur seperjuangan. Kempen-kempen dahulu boleh dibaca melalui pautan ini).

Hasil sokongan anda, lebih 100 pekerja yang tercedera dan sakit kini mampu mendapatkan rawatan. Contohnya:

• ‘AB’, pekerja asing asal Bangladesh, disahkan menghidap barah usus tahap tiga dan memerlukan pembedahan dan kemoterapi. SMF membolehkan ‘AB’ mendapatkan rawatan tersebut yang berharga lebih $40,000. Kini, ‘AB’ sudah tamat menjalani rawatan dan beransur pulih. Penyembuhannya juga bermakna beliau boleh terus bekerja dan mencari nafkah buat keluarga.
   
• ‘Rana’ cedera parah akibat jatuh daripada tempat tinggi di tempat kerja, di samping terkena karang ginjal yang cukup menyeksakan. SMF turut membolehkan Rana mendapatkan rawatan yang dianggarkan mencecah $20,000 dan sebelum ini tidak mampu diraih.
• ‘Motin’ memerlukan lebih $40,000 untuk mendapatkan rawatan barah otak.

TWC2 terus membelanjakan wang berjumlah puluhan ribu dolar setiap tahun demi membantu pekerja yang cedera parah dan sakit tenat. Meskipun undang-undang Singapura menuntut pihak majikan menyediakan perlindungan insurans bagi setiap pekerja, segolongan pekerja asing masih terbiar tanpa penjagaan perubatan. Hal ini disebabkan:

• Majikan sebenarnya mesti membeli polisi insurans yang memberi perlindungan asas bernilai $15,000 untuk membiayai rawatan kecederaan dan penyakit yang tiada kaitan dengan pekerjaan. Namun, kos perubatan lazimnya melebihi jumlah tersebut. Misalnya, kempen terdahulu membiayai rawatan penyakit karang ginjal ‘Rana’, barah otak ‘Motin’ dan pergelangan tangan patah ‘Nobi Nur’ – kesemuanya mencecah lebih $15,000.
   
• Pendapatan pekerja asing dikira paling rendah dalam kalangan anggota masyarakat, namun mereka dikategorikan sebagai pesakit swasta dan tidak layak menerima subsidi semasa dirawat di hospital awam Singapura. Disebabkan itu, mereka terpaksa mengeluarkan belanja setara pelancong perubatan yang kaya raya. Rawatan kecemasan pun boleh melangkaui had insurans, yakni $15,000. Kos yang tinggi ini sering menjadi punca perbalahan kerana majikan enggan memanfaatkan perlindungan insurans dan membiayai rawatan pekerja. Majikan juga boleh menghantar pekerja ini pulang ke tanah air.
   
• Sungguhpun perlindungan insurans mencukupi, ada majikan sanggup menangguhkan jaminan pembayaran rawatan yang tinggi kepada pihak hospital. Hal ini menyebabkan pekerja itu menderita lama sehingga tidak mungkin diubati lagi. Dalam kes-kes sedemikian, TWC2 akan menyediakan jaminan seandainya dana mereka mencukupi.
   
• Majikan boleh memilih tidak membiayai rawatan pekerja meskipun dituntut melakukan demikian kalau tercedera di tempat kerja. Kementerian Tenaga Manusia (MOM) boleh mendakwa majikan sebegini di mahkamah. Namun, proses pendakwaan tidak akan menghuraikan masalah ketidakupayaan pekerja mendapatkan rawatan.

Walaupun ada pekerja asing yang sudah mencari nafkah selama lebih 25 tahun di Singapura, mereka tetap tidak berhak menerima penjagaan kesihatan bersubsidi. Namun, kemungkinan mereka menghadapi kecederaan di tempat kerja lebih tinggi berbanding warga setempat. Selain itu, risiko menghadapi penyakit yang tiada kaitan dengan pekerjaan lebih tinggi akibat kesan persekitaran, kurang menjalani pemeriksaan kesihatan serta penjagaan dan perubatan yang terhad. 

Sokongan anda yang berterusan membolehkan TWC2 menyediakan penjagaan kesihatan kepada sebanyak mungkin pekerja asing. Dengan lebih besarnya sumbangan yang diterima, maka lebih ramai pekerja yang boleh TWC2 bantu.

Pembiayaan kos pengangkutan di bawah Usaha Farego TWC2

Dalam pada itu, TWC2 melaksanakan Usaha Farego, yang bertindak membiayai kos pengangkutan pekerja tercedera dan mereka yang menuntut gaji tertunggak apabila mereka perlu pergi ke janji temu doktor atau Kementerian Tenaga Manusia (MOM). Pada zaman pasca-COVID-19 sekarang, MOM menguatkuasakan peraturan agar pekerja asing ditempatkan dalam asrama khusus, yang kebanyakannya berada di tempat-tempat terpencil, justeru keperluan ini menjadi lebih mendesak. Pekerja yang tercedera atau gajinya tertunggak sudah pun kehilangan pekerjaan atau tidak lagi mempunyai pendapatan. Ekoran daripada itu, mereka tidak mampu mengeluarkan belanja pengangkutan ke tempat janji temu penting itu.

Setiap pengedaran di bawah Usaha Farego berjumlah antara $40 dengan $50. Tahun lalu, TWC2 membelanjakan sekitar $38,000 di bawah usaha tersebut, malah jumlah itu diagihkan kepada pekerja yang lebih memerlukan dalam kalangan mereka yang memohon bantuan. Dengan adanya lebih banyak sumbangan melalui kempen #SGMuslims4MigrantWorkers insya-Allah, TWC2 berharap dapat melebarkan jaringan sokongan kepada ramai yang lain. 

BUAT PENDERMA MUSLIM: MENGAPA PEKERJA ASING DAN KELUARGA MEREKA LAYAK MENERIMA ZAKAT