MOM ordered to process clairn

Singapore: Pang Cheng Suan, a signboard maker, will finally be compensated for the injuries he suffered in 2004 due to an explosion at his workplace. He underwent multiple operations which cost him more than SGD20,000 (USD14,495) in medical bills and loss of income.

At the onset of the case, the Ministry of Manpower (MOM) ruled that he had filed his claim too late; this decision was confirmed by the High Court. Pang claimed compensation with the MOM soon after the accident, then withdrew the claim deciding instead to sue his employer. He then proceeded to change his mind again, when investigations into the accident revealed that the blast was not the result of negligence. Pang again turned to the MOM for workmen's compensation in April 2006, but the relevant law provides that compensation claims older than a year would only be considered, if the claimant establishes a reasonable cause for the delay. The Chief Justice of the Court of Appeal justified his decision in favour of the claimant with the fact that Pang had made his first claim in 2004 and by this notified the authorities of his intention to claim compensation.

Source: Straits Times, 12 March 2008
Asian Casualty Report 10th Edition June 2008 – Gen Re